Of Hosts and Hedgehogs
by Justsimplespeed
Summary: Once upon a time, the sky exploded and a hedgehog and his two friends bother, and almost kill on multiple accounts, a high school Host Club. Can there possible be a friendship to be had here? More importantly, can either group survive the other? Co-written with kassehface :D
1. Midnight Lights

The host club is now open for business.

At midnight.

It was an annual event, or so claimed "The King", where the club would open precisely at the stroke of midnight instead of the afternoon. Most would assume a late night event such as this would lack the energy and festive air of one at the usual hour, however...

"He's at it again..." Haruhi sighed. It was one thing to deal with Tamaki's overdramatic flattery during the day, but at night, and tired to the point of wanting to just curl up on the floor and fall asleep, it was all but amusing. "Don't get me wrong, Tamaki-senpai's ideas are fun and all but sometimes they're just too much..."

All this apparently told to the ceiling. Haruhi looked around at the other hosts successfully fulfilling their goals, with no complaining to inanimate objects, and as far as she could tell _enjoying _it. Was it just her imagination or were there more guests now than their regular time?

"Something wrong Haruhi?"

Leave it to Kyoya to throw that question at her the second something _was _wrong.

"No, just tired." Was her almost truthfully response. She figured that the _"I'm irritated"_ part was fairly obvious.

"Understandable." Kyoya nodded. "We all can't have energy as boundless as Tamaki."

Haruhi scoffed. "Tell me about it."

Then, as if on some magic cue, Tamaki called to the pair from where they had somehow missed everyone in the room gathering at the door.

"Haruhi!" The endless power supply called over everyone else. "Come on! We're all going to the plaza!"

"The plaza?" Haruhi cocked her head, then turned to look outside. Well, it was a nice night, plus she could do with getting out of the room.

Haruhi yawned as she made her way to the door, trudging along while the girls she was supposed to host giggled excitedly around her.

"Oh, Haruhi! Isn't it _so _romantic?" A girl with silly little buns on her head grabbed Haruhi's arm and squealed, "A walk under the moonlight! And look at those stars!" She practically swooned as she pointed out the huge window facing the clock tower.

Haruhi smiled and gazed out the window. "It is really pretty."

The girls around her sighed audibly and crowded around even closer. She felt a light bit of claustrophobia crawl over her.

"Haru-chan!" Honey's little blonde figure came into view above everyone's head. He was riding on Mori's shoulders, his preferred way of travel. "Haru-chan! Haru-chan! Don't I look _cute_?" He waved his bunny Usa-chan in the air and showed off his matching pink pajamas covered with little designs of strawberries. Haruhi saw Mori give a slight smile as he grasped one of Honey's legs to keep him from falling, and the girls around them squealed.

Haruhi smiled and tried to raise an arm to wave, but she found it difficult to move "Oh, crap. I'm going to suffocate." She closed her eyes and grinned uncomfortably, trying to push the girls around her just a little further away. Then she suddenly felt the floor leave her feet, and she was carried away by the Hitachiin twins by her elbows.

"You looked like you were going to drown," said the one on her right.

"So we decided to rescue you," explained the other.

"Oh. Thanks guys." They continued to carry her down the hallway and through the door. Haruhi was getting peeved. "Guys, put me down. I can walk."

"Oh. We know you can," beamed the twin on her left, Hikaru.

"But we'd rather be gentlemen!" They chimed together.

"Come on, Kaoru. You'll listen to reason. I need to host. And so do you," Haruhi stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, all right," they sang together as they placed her on the ground. "But don't get lost." Kaoru smiled and Hikaru grinned widely as they ran away, locked arm-in-arm.

Haruhi watched their bright red hair bop away into the night and rolled her eyes. She's been here long enough; She knew her way around. But as she continued after them, she nearly fell over. She was once again caught in a wave of females, and she was struck by how many girls there were. She couldn't remember a crowd this big all at once. Once the crowd thinned and Haruhi was left a bit disheveled, Kyoya emerged from the school.

"Haruhi, you're going to be late," he mused as he walked past her.

She muttered as she tried to flatten her hair and smooth her jacket. Then she called to his retreating figure. "Kyoya-senpai!" He stopped but didn't turn around. She jogged up to him and asked, "Are there always so many girls during the club?"

Kyoya smiled and pushed up his glasses, which glinted in the moonlight. "So you've noticed." Haruhi's irritation rose slightly. _Well it's pretty obvious, she_ thought. "Yes," Kyoya continued, "this _is _one of Tamaki's better ideas. Women are partial to moonlight, after all. It supposedly enhances beauty and hides the imperfections."

"Sure, but it's only temporary," Haruhi stated. "Nothing lasts forever." But before she finished, Kyoya started scribbling in his notebook again, signaling the conversation being over, and he walked towards the chatter. With a sigh, Haruhi followed.

Once outside, Haruhi's mood lifted as if the full moon and billion little shining stars had cast a spell over her. This was only her second time at the school's plaza, the first had only been a walkthrough and she hadn't really been paying attention. That was practically impossible now, however, with the moon's own reflecting light hitting the plaza's tiles in such a way that highlighted each of them individually, making them glow. Dead center of this glowing surface stood a marble fountain, a sort of figure with outspread wings, which was yet another object for the milky light to hit and engulf in this wonderful glow.

Haruhi guessed she had been standing in silent awe for quite a while because she had failed to notice Tamaki standing right next to her.

"It's beautiful, no?" The King questioned with a dreamy sigh. "Such a sight can only be seen in the twilight hours of the night when enhanced by the beauty of the moon. Isn't it wonderful?"

Haruhi nodded. "I have to admit it's almost worth the lack of sleep and destruction to my sleep schedule."

"Such a shame it only comes around once a year..." Tamaki sighed again and turned to look at her. He looked at her and that was all he did for the next few, silent moments.

"Uh...senpai?" Haruhi asked at the end of them. "What are you staring at?"

"Haruhi..." Tamaki's eyes were set on her. Her in the moonlight. She was bathed in the beautiful glow; her big trademark eyes were lit with outstanding beauty that threatened to melt his passionate heart into nothing but a puddle.

Before Haruhi could repeat her question to Tamaki, he had grabbed her into a crushing hug with a squeal.

"You're so adorable!" He hugged her tighter. "It's too much! All this cuteness puts the moon's luminous beauty to shame!"

"Sen...pai..." Haruhi croaked.

Tamaki released her. She gasped. _I think I just died a little..._she thought glumly

"Haru-chan!" For the second time that night, Honey's voice yelled to Haruhi as he made his way over through the crowd that had formed during Tamaki and Haruhi's little scene, upon Mori's back. "Haru-chan, why are you on the ground?"

"Oh, no reason..." Haruhi replied, standing up and making a point to dust herself off while shooting a glare at Tamaki, who had already moved on to another customer. "Did you need something, Honey-senpai?"

"Uh-huh," Honey nodded then pointed to the sky. "Look at that!"

Haruhi obeyed, as did everyone else within twenty yards. "That" was hardly easy to miss. Against the black of the sky, in between the stars, something white flashed across the sky. At first Haruhi thought it was a falling star, or some other falling cosmic object, but there was something about it that wasn't...right. Then it happened

A flash, blindingly white, filled the sky like daylight. It lasted only a few seconds but when it faded back to black night, something was different and Haruhi couldn't put her finger on it.

The group had to blink their eyes quickly to remove the blinding glare that filled their eyes. Haruhi rubbed her eyes absently. Her contacts were bothering her.

"Haruhi! Are you alright?" Tamaki gasped her face in his fatherly was as her eyes watered slightly. He noticed her tiny tears and his eyes filled with tears also. "Haruhi! You were amazed by the beauty of nature! The magnificence of it all!" He pulled her into another rib-cracking hug and Haruhi squeaked from surprise.

"N-no! Senpai! Let g-go!" She gasped. But he wouldn't give in so easily. He twirled them around the plaza a couple times, monologuing about how wonderful the earth was and how beautiful the night sky was. A few of Tamaki's customers eyed them enviously as Kyoya took notes diligently, his eyes invisible under the glare of his glasses. Honey was exclaiming loudly how pretty the light was, Mori and his customers listening intently, smiling and giggling when deemed appropriate.

But as Haruhi was set back down on her feet, her eyes still a little irritated, she still couldn't shake the fact that something wasn't quite right. Tamaki was still talking, a firm grasp on Haruhi's shoulder, when the twins appeared and broke the romantic mood like a twig under their feet.

"There's a monster on the grounds!" They shouted in unison as they came to a skidding halt among the group. The girls (excluding Haruhi, who merely shook her head) all screamed loudly, some asking silly questions like, "Where?" or "What's it look like?" or "Was it scary?" The twins' customers gathered around them as close as they could get, and the other girls tried to gather closer as the twins began their tale. Tamaki's face looked terrified as he hid behind Haruhi, his eyes scanning the grounds quickly.

"Yeah!" The twins chimed.

"It chased Kaoru!"

"So Hikaru got in its way!"

"I guess I scared it..."

"Because then it turned and ran this way!"

The plaza filled with terrified screams as the girls all grabbed each and hugged each other tightly looking every which way. "Look! It's there!" Someone screamed, and the frightened chatter grew louder until Kyoya emerged from the shadows where everyone was facing.

"What's the fuss?" He asked calmly.

"Monster!" Tamaki and the girls cried, but Kyoya just shook his head.

"Probably just a stray cat. Nothing to worry about." And he smiled. "Please, continue enjoying ourselves." He began taking notes again as his customers walked up to him, chattering excitedly amongst themselves.

"Oh, Kaoru. You hear that? It was just a stray cat," Hikaru soothed. Haruhi rolled her eyes; she knew what was coming.

"But, Hikaru, I was so scared..." and he fell into his brother's arms, his face in his hands. The girls gathered around the duo, their eyes intent to absorb the scene and plaster it to memory.

"I know, Kaoru. That's why I tried to protect you." Hikaru gingerly took his twin's hands and leaned dangerously close to the other's face. "I'll always protect you..."

"Oh, Hikaru..."

And the girls around them squealed so loudly, Haruhi had to cover her ears. It seemed the jolly mood had returned. But Haruhi still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that was growing steadily at the pit of her stomach, and when she looked Kyoya's way, she couldn't help but wonder where he had gone before he appeared from the shadows.

**Alright, there's chapter uno people n.n Hope you will take time to read AND review. HOST CLUB ftw**


	2. First Meetings

**Kassehface: You don't say XD Well I hope YOU would like it :p**

**Lol: Yeah, I get that alot. I actually forgot how I got the idea but it has worked :D**

**Tamafanowo: Why thank you for the love XD And here's some more for ya ;)**

**NXT4eva: I also love these shows (Sonic more XD) I continued! Recall the beavers please o0**

**Tenten628: I personally care only for Kyoya XD Hmm...Yep. That is weird, but I'd read it XD**

**Shadowonground: Yeah...Been busy but I'm glad you favourited this story XD People seem to do that and not review :p Trust me, there's plenty more on the way**

**sotorohenge: Glad I can have some logic ;) **

"The commotion last night sure got everyone on edge, didn't it?" Kaoru said with no real concern as he and his other half observed the paranoid behavior of the others, mostly females, in the lunch area.

"Hm." Was the answer he received from Hikaru, more interested in the arriving Haruhi.

"This is your fault you know," she said sitting next to Hikaru. "You're little joke has everyone worried."

"I wasn't a joke." Both twins defended in unison. "Something was really after us."

"...Rea-lly?" Haruhi wasn't convinced. "Then what did it look like?"

"Hmm..." The twins paused for thought.

"Well...It was dark but the thing was this tall," Kaoru lifted his hand above the ground to his waist.

"With green eyes."

"And pointy ears."

"It was a cat." Haruhi stated simply. "Just like Kyoya-senpai said."

"No way!" The twins shook their heads.

"You guys got spooked by a cat." Haruhi said. "End of discussion. It was dark and we were all tired, your eyes were playing tricks."

The twins looked at each other but said nothing, only shrugged. They know what they saw and, as far as they could tell, people should be on guard.

"Anyway," she continued. "Have you two noticed something weird going on with the others?"

"Weird?" Kaoru cocked his head.

"Like how?" Hikaru finished.

"Weird as in Tamaki-senpai, Kyoya-senpai and even Honey-senpai seem, I don't know, distant...?"

"No. Not really." They replied flatly and Haruhi sweat dropped. She should have known better than to ask them.

She gave up and settled for lunch instead. Reaching for her glass, while her eyes were more focused on her plate, was not the smartest thing to do. This she realized when her glass tipped, fell and shattered on the floor.

"Nice one..." Hikaru grunted.

"I'll clean it," Haruhi said before Kaoru stood up. "We have a mop upstairs, right?"

Without waiting for an answer Haruhi took off.

She felt eyes follow her as she made her way through the lunch area and down a hallway to the stairs that lead to the abandoned music room. It occurred to her that there was probably another room that was closer and had a mop only when she finally reached for the doorknob. She was about to pull it open quickly and with no second thought when she heard a voice she's never heard before.

"-For the best," it said. The voice was rather harsh and made Haruhi freeze.

"For the best?" Another a voice shouted. It seemed like it wasn't used to being used in such negative tones, but rather sarcasm. "This keeps happening to us! We can't keep dragging people into our business!"

The first voice didn't seem to acknowledge the second. "So, you don't mind? Not at all?" Then a voice Haruhi certainly didn't expect chimed in.

"Certainly not!" When Haruhi heard Tamaki's voice her grip on the doorknob loosened. He was up to his charity work again. Nothing to worry about. She shook her head, feeling foolish about the anxious fist that kept punching her gut, and walked in the room. And there she stood for a good two minutes, staring at the unusual group that stared back. Some weird _blue cat _had its mouth open and looked like it was accusing the just as weird _red cat _about something with its gloved hand pointed at its face.

There was a _yellow cat _with two tails (she counted, and recounted, and recounted...yep, two!) Sitting on a couch next to Honey who was sharing some cake with it. She felt her face twitch. Haruhi rubbed her eyes. She must've been really tired. _Oh yeah. Definitely too tired. I must still be sleeping..._and with that thought, she turned around and closed the door, not even noticing Tamaki's surprise and Kyoya's indifference. She blinked a few times at the door to Music Room Three, debated with herself and decided against opening the door again. Instead, she turned around and walked calmly back to her lunch. When she sat down, taking her seat next to Hikaru, she had totally forgotten about her spill that didn't seem to be there anymore.

"I tried to tell you," Kaoru explained. "You don't need to clean up after yourself."

"You're such a commoner," Hikaru teased, jabbing her ribs with his elbow. "You never learn."

Haruhi blinked at her plate, realizing she wasn't very hungry and looked at the twins. "I believe you."

"Oh, you do?" They chimed together. "The why do you keep getting up every time you make a mess?"

"No..." Haruhi interrupted them quietly. "That cat. The cat you saw. The cat that chased you."

"Ohhh." The twins looked at each other then back at Haruhi. "What about it?"

"It _can _talk."

The twins blinked at her. "We never said that," they replied, confused.

"And there are more." She glanced back at her plate. "A few more."

"Did you hit your head somewhere?" Hikaru chuckled and gave her a noogie, and Kaoru laughed.

"Oh boy, Haruhi, lack of sleep does not suit you well at all."

Haruhi shook her head, pinching Hikaru's hand, still staring at her plate. "Yeah. You're probably right."

"But a least you believe us," Kaoru beamed.

"She seems loony," Hikaru stated, cradling his hand.

"So do you," his brother chimed, taking a bite of his food. And with that, Haruhi believed their conversation had strayed, and bringing up the cats again would be pointless. She noted she would definitely ask Tamaki about them. He was never really a good secret keeper...

As it turned out, Tamaki found her first, just as she walked out of her last class that afternoon. Throughout the day she had managed to push the Technicolor cat creatures to the back of her mind. That was until she laid eyes on Tamaki's guilty expression.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess you probably want some answers..." Tamaki figured as he walked next to Haruhi, who turned to look at him without breaking pace.

"Not really," she shrugged. She had come to a sort of conclusion after lunch about what she had seen. "I was just a little surprised is all. Being, as you say, a commoner I don't really get to see toys that look like odd-colored cats with the ability to talk, But I'll admit it's pretty cool, useless...but cool."

Tamaki looked at her. "Wait..." He took a second to recap. "You think-"

"-I'm some sorta toy?"

Haruhi stopped, hesitated and reluctantly forced her head to look over to the other side of Tamaki.

Yep. There was again. The blue cat.

Quickly looking around to see if anyone else was seeing this, and of course for the first time in Ouran High history the hallway was empty, Haruhi looked at Tamaki, now focused on the blue thing.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded it. "I told you to stay with Kyoya!"

"And I heard you," the blue cat replied (Haruhi wasn't sure, but did it have some sort of attitude? Did computer-programmed toys do that?). "Then I got bored and wanted to follow you." It shrugged (they do that too?). "What's up with the recap?"

"What if someone _saw _you?" Tamaki gasped at the thought. "That could lead to the downfall of Ouran High, or worst, The Host Club! Imagine it! Word gets loose Ouran High has had an outbreak of giant animals that look like they've come straight though a rainbow and people from all over the world come to try and steal your genetics, or whatever people would steal from mutant animals! Then-" Tamaki continued on for a while in one of his most dramatic monologues yet until his "toy" looked up at Haruhi..

"Does he do that alot?" It asked, jabbing a thumb at "The King".

"More than you-" Haruhi cut off as she remembered just what it was she was talking to. She looked down at it, and received a blank look back, then noticed something that made her heart skip a beat

The thing followed her gazed and smirked.

"Yeah...That happened last night." It gestured to the nick on it's arm, not deep enough to do any real harm but enough so it bled a little. "I was walking on, or rather _in_, that rose maze you got out back when I got spooked by two of your friends." The creature frowned slightly. "Or maybe it was one holding some kinda mirror..."

Haruhi didn't hear this last part. Or, she did, but it failed to register as her brain screamed one of the basic rules of biology: _only living things could bleed._

"But...That means..." Haruhi's voice sounded small even to her as she looked at the creature before her.

It was then all communication between her brain and limbs shut down and the empty hall went black. When she came to, only a few minutes later, she found herself back in Music Room 3. She was sprawled on the couch and it took her only a second to remember what had happened.

Mostly because that 'rainbow of cats', as Tamaki had put it, were sitting right across from her.

"Someone please tell me I'm dreaming..." she groaned, sitting up cautiously.

"Unfortunately, lying is unbecoming of a proper host." Kyoya stated simply from behind Haruhi, along with the other hosts. "So you'll just to face the truth for now."

Haruhi was just about to reply to this when something small and extremely sweet smelling wrapped itself around her.

"Haru-chan!" Honey tightened his grip (a sudden grunt from Tamaki suggested he had been beaten to Honey's action). "You're okay!"

"I'm fine, Honey-senpai." Haruhi assured with a smile, a smile that lessened when she looked over at the other couch. "At least I think I am."

"Oh, come off it. You're perfectly fine," the blue creature stated. "And that means, I did nothing wrong." It smiled smugly at the red creature which rolled its purple eyes.

Honey loosened his clinging grip on Haruhi to turn and face the strange things. Haruhi still wouldn't allow her mind to absorb the fact that they were real...like, _really _real.

"Haruhi, you've met Sonic," Tamaki gestured to the blue one. It gave a thumbs up and winked, which Haruhi found strange because it only had one eye.

"Knuckles," Kyoya pointed his pen at the red one who didn't seem to notice or care that its name was just said. It sat on the edge of the couch, its skinny arms crossed tightly against its chest. Its eyes looked constantly angry as they glared out a window behind Haruhi.

"And this is Tails, Haru-chan!" Honey jumped from beside Haruhi and glomped the yellow one. He began petting its tails lovingly and laughed openly as they twitched and tickled his face.

Haruhi looked from the couch to the rest of the club. They were all smiling at her, looking expectant. Was she supposed to say something? She cleared her throat to buy her sometime then put on her best host smile and said robotically, "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," the yellow one said simply with a smile. Haruhi couldn't help but look at its tails.

"Yeah, yeah. As long as you don't pass out again." The blue one, Sonic, jumped off the couch and stretched its arms upwards. Haruhi glanced at the one they called Knuckles and eyed its namesakes. They looked like they were used to hitting hard surfaces and Haruhi's eyes wandered back to it face. It was staring her down with its hard eyes and she found it difficult to look away. Not because she was afraid (even though deep down she knew she kind of was) but because she felt it as a challenge. Their stare down seemed to last hours without anyone else noticing. Haruhi was just about to look away awkwardly until Knuckles closed its eyes and turned its face away.

"Are we finished here?" It asked, and Haruhi sighed, thankful to be free from its gaze.

"Why? Got somewhere to be, Knucklehead?" Sonic asked, crossing its arms and facing Knuckles. Haruhi saw Tails roll its eyes as Honey continued messing with his fur.

"Unlike some people, or hedgehogs, I know, I have things to do."

_Hedgehog?_ Haruhi echoed in her head, glancing towards Sonic. _I'm expected to believe it's...He's a hedgehog?_

"Oh, but you expect me to stay cooped up in here all day?" And the hedgehog, Sonic, waved his arms impatiently.

"I can't expect anything from you, Sonic. I know that much by now."

Kyoya was taking notes yet again still standing behind the couch Haruhi was sitting on. "Senpai?" She asked. Kyoya continued writing, but Haruhi continued. "Have you told Kaoru and Hikaru yet?"

Kyoya kept writing for a bit, so Haruhi thought he ignored her question. Then he suddenly closed his notebook. "Not quite. We can handle one collapse at a time, thank you." He smiled his small smile and gazed at Tamaki who was trying to separate Sonic and Knuckles until Mori interrupted and picked them up at the scuff of their necks. They flailed their limbs as they hung in the air, and Honey laughed up at them. At least, Haruhi thought he was until she looked above Mori's head and saw Tails hovering there.

She eyed him skeptically, watching his tails twirl viciously behind him. He seemed to noticed Honey's outstretched arms and hovered down to him, grabbed his hands and flew his off the floor. Honey giggled explosively as Tails carried him around the room. Haruhi couldn't help but smile at the scene before her.

_It's too much to ask for normalcy, I guess..._

Aloud she asked: "So...What are we going to do...about them?" Haruhi gestured to their unique guests. "Somehow I don't think people are too use to seeing giant talking animals wander the halls of our school." She directed this part at Sonic, still in Mori's grasp, who just shrugged best he could.

"How was I supposed to know that?" The hedgehog defended then half-turned to look at Mori. "Mind putting us down, big guy?"

Mori grunted, then complied placing both Sonic and Knuckles neatly on the ground.

"We're trying to figure that out now," Tamaki said, answering Haruhi's early question. "So far we only know they can't stay in here all the time, it would jeopardize the well-being of the Host Club."

"Host Club?" Tails echoed just as his last lap ended and he placed Honey on the ground and settled for standing next to him.

"It's our own little creation," Kyoya said with no real enthusiasm.

"It was all my idea!" Tamaki stated proudly.

"And that's reason enough not to go into detail," Haruhi muttered.

Before Tamaki could protest a sudden knock on the door alerted everyone to the time. They were supposed to open for business ten whole minutes ago.

"We're late!" Tamaki practically screamed. "For the first time in Host Club history, we're late! We haven't even changed yet! Or set up! Kyoya!" He rushed over and grabbed the club's walking bank. "What are we going to do?"

"Calm down." Kyoya said coolly. "All eight of us can set up in a mere matter of minutes." He looked at their three guests through his glasses, glared by the light above. "No doubt they feel obligated to assist us."

Said guests looked at each other and shrugged (except Knuckles who just grunted in a way that said he would help but would refuse to enjoy it).

"What do you want us to do?" Tails questioned.

Tamaki quickly pointed to the door opposite to where Honey stood. It lead to the storage room.

"The stuff in there needs to get out here," he explained rather poorly then elaborated when he received odd looks. "Everyday we try to have a different sense of atmosphere right here in this room to keep our female masses entertained in a variety of ways. All of them successful. It just so happens today's theme is 'Tropical Paradise', a favorite if I do say so myself-"

"Blah, blah, blah." Sonic interrupted impatiently. "So you want this place to look like some beach without the water?"

"Basically." Kyoya said.

"Then why didn't you just say so?" The hedgehog winked. "We'll get this place ready while you guys do what it is you need get done."

That said, the members of the host club left to change, a task that took all of ten minutes. Now usually it took three times that amount of that time for the seven main members of the club to set up, even after setting up bits and pieces the night before. So it was no wonder that each of their jaws hit the floor the second they returned to a perfectly assembled paradise (minus the water).

"Wha...But-I..." Tamaki failed to make words.

"That was fast!" Honey said in awe as he eyed everything from the palm trees to the sand beneath his sandals. "How'd you do it?"

Sonic wagged a finger. "Good magicians never reveal their tricks."

"I wish we had some of this so-called magic a while back," Haruhi thought back to all the hours they had spent setting up in the past just to tear their work apart a few hours later and what a pain it always was. Then something occurred to her. "Wait a second, how are we going to hide these three from our hundred and one customers?"

"Already taken care of Haruhi, my dear!" Tamaki informed with a twinkle in his natural host eyes that suggested nothing but mischief.

Twenty seconds later three certain animals found themselves shoved and locked in a nearby closet.

"It's dark in here..." Sonic said, after a long silence mostly because he didn't enjoy it.

"Really?" Knuckles glared at the hedgehog, or at least in the general direction of his voice. "I couldn't tell."

"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there, Knucklehead?" Sonic asked, not really expecting a reply.

"Just get us out of here, Sonic." The echidna said shortly. The hedgehog _was _the closest to the door, the echidna was just the opposite.

"Love to. Except I can't." Hearing the echidna shift in the dark room Sonic rushed to explain. "The door's _locked_."

"Who locks a closet from the outside?" Tails wondered aloud and Sonic shrugged, another unseen and therefore useless motion.

"Maybe it was a design flaw. Not that it really matters because we're not leaving 'til they let us out."

"Says who, exactly?" Something in Knuckles' tone suggested otherwise.

"Says _me_, Knucklehead. If they wanna keep us on a low profile I think we should let them. It's better than being seen as a threat but the rest of the population of.." Sonic paused. "Of wherever we are."

"Let me remind you us being here is _your _fault."

Tails sighed. _There they go again,_ he thought. No matter where they were those two would _always _be at each others throats. The fox was willing to bet a tail that one would yell at the other's grave for dying before them.

"Why is everything bad that happens to you have to be _my _fault?"

"Because it _is _always your fault!"

"So? At least I actually put some adventure into your humdrum life!"

"I never asked for any _adventure_, thank you very much!"

"Well-!"

"Shut up!" Tails interjected the two, who stopped only because the fox had managed to whack them both using his namesakes. "In case you both forgot, we're supposed to be _hiding _in here, not verbally stabbing each other." When there was no rebuttal from one to the other the fox continued. "Now, I don't know about you two, but we've been here almost less than a full day but we've already found some friends that I like and I know they'll do whatever they can to help us. So is it too much to ask for you guys to get along for two measly hours?"

Realizing they had just been told off by an nine-year old fox cub, Sonic and Knuckles looked at each other before moving to opposite ends of the large closet. They couldn't argue that way after all.

Meanwhile, outside the closet, the customers of the Host Club had fallen silent trying to identify the shouting match they'd just overheard.


	3. Journey to Okinawa

**Redrover65912: Well if you review for the rest of the chappies I think I can overlook that ;) Really? Because I think they kinda waver XD**

**NXT4eva: Yep. That was chapter 2 :D Hmmm...I guess it takes place somewhere after Sonic X and sometime in the middle of Ouran? That's just a guess **

**Forsaken Avenger: I would probally think that too XD **

**Tenten628: You got a problem with the other characters? 'Cause I sure do XD Yes. It shall remain Team Sonic FOREVER**

**Shadowonground: That's only cause Sonic co was in it ) Really? Maybe you should read on to see if that's true ;)**

**TG101: Thanks for reading. And if Amy were to appear in this story I have a feeling I'd die. So she's OUT :D**

**kassehface: You must be bored :P Hey. I just put what was written. BEAVERS!**

**xXAna-Christ-342Xx: As to your request, here is some more ;)**

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the closet door. Everyone was completely still, except for Tamaki who was fretting unbearably next to one of his clients.

"What was that?" Someone asked quietly. No one moved, but the room instantly filled with chatter. "Oh my goodness, what if it's the monster from last night?" One of Haruhi's guest exclaimed loudly, grabbing her arm tightly.

Suddenly, Kyoya appeared seemingly out of nowhere, in front of the closet. "Please, ladies, there's nothing to worry about." The room instantly quieted as he reached for the closet's doorknob and jiggled it. "Nothing to be alarmed of," he announced, opening it slightly. Haruhi held her breath as he walked in and came back holding a large shoebox. "It seems this fell off its self. That's all." He smiled and threw it back in the closet. It landed with a large crash that made everyone jump, except him.

_Oh, hell, _Haruhi thought. _He can break stuff, but I can't?_

"Kyoya, what was in the box?" A girl asked excitedly. Haruhi couldn't understand why anyone would care. It was pretty much destroyed now, from the sound of it.

"That's a surprise for the next club meeting, so be sure to come back to find out what it is." He smiled again, and with that went back to his guest in his little grass skirt that matched the tropical feel of the room. As he walked, he opened up his notebook and began scribbling in it again.

Haruhi gave another glance towards the door before turning her attention to her guests, reluctantly.

"Oh, Haruhi," one of the girls pressed, "couldn't you tell us what you guys are up to?" She beamed at Haruhi as she poured tea.

"I honestly don't really know, ladies. Sorry." She smiled, and the girls around her sighed.

"You're always so sweet, Haruhi," another girl exhaled. "I wish you'd wear what all the other hosts are wearing. I bet you'd look amazing." She motioned towards Tamaki who was wearing a leafy crown to show his "kingness". Haruhi laughed nervously as the twins busted in the room.

"Sorry we're late, boss," they explained to Tamaki as they walked past him through the sand.

"Other business," Hikaru stated.

"You understand," Kaoru finished.

"Don't give _me _excuses!" Tamaki shouted. "Your guests deserve an apology, however. Why beautiful ladies put up with the likes of you two, I'll never know, really..." He continued as the twins walked to the closet.

"Our outfits are in here, right?" They chimed, and before anyone could stop them, they opened the door. They stood there for a couple seconds before something seemed to have sucked them in. None of the girls seemed to pay any mind, but Haruhi knew she heard some unnecessary shuffling.

"Would you ladies please excuse me?" She got up quickly without waiting for a response and hurried to the closet. When she opened the door, a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist and pulled her in. She had to blink a few times to get used to the lack of light, but she heard the twins struggling with something.

"What's going on?" Haruhi whispered fiercely.

"Your damn four-eyed friend attacked us!" Knuckles erupted. "That box he threw in here knocked Sonic right upside the head!" He pointed his gloved hand towards a lump on the floor. The shoe box Kyoya threw lay next to his head, four 9-pound dumbbells spilling out. Haruhi twitched slightly when she remembered how easy it seemed for Kyoya to toss the box.

"It was weird, though..." Tails explained. "He had Sonic stand right there..."

"He planned it, dammit! If he pulls that funny business with _me _I swear, I'll-"

"He won't Knuckles," Haruhi defended. "Now, _shh_."

They all froze until they heard the cheerful banter from the guests again. Haruhi sighed, then froze when she noticed the twins tied up and gagged. She couldn't tell from their faces whether they were furious or terrified.

"This is going to be a long day..." Haruhi sighed, ignoring the twins' best attempts at a protest and the sudden smirk that cracked on Knuckles' face at the sight.

The rest of the day, for the most part, went with little chaos considering the situation in the closet. Haruhi, after shooting a warning for their little guests to stay put an quiet in return for the twins' momentary hostage situation to stick until all the customers left, returned to work and didn't even so much as think of the closet until the last customer left with a teary, overdramatic farewell.

"That took forever..." Haruhi groaned as Kyoya closed the door. "We have _got _to find place to hide those guys...The closet just isn't working"

"Really? Knuckles' voice dripped sarcasm as Honey unlocked the door and resumed his glomping of Tails, "I couldn't tell."

"Now, now." Tamaki leveled. "No need to be hostile. Let's just calm down and think of something, okay?"

There was a silence.

"Well...?" Tamaki said at the end of it. "Ideas?"

Everyone in the host club looked at each other, lost.

"Well..." Honey's face turned thoughtful as he let go as Tails, much to the fox's relief. "I know they can't stay with me 'cause of all the people at my house, all the time..." His expression twisted to a frown and he looked at Tamaki hopefully.

"I have too many nosey servants," Tamaki shrugged, dashing Honey's hope with that simple motion. "They would be discovered in minutes."

"Haru-chan?" Honey's wide-eyed gaze make the female squirm a little.

"Well, I...I don't know how my father would react..." Haruhi didn't either, plus her dad wasn't the best at holding water. "What about the twins?"

"I don't think-wait, where _are _they?" Tamaki cut off, noticing their absence for the first time.

"They're a little tied up at the moment," Knuckles said, in tones serious enough to confuse the club members unaware of the situation in the closet.

Not that it really mattered because the twins choose _that _second to emerge, unbound, from the closet of doom soon followed by Sonic.

"Sonic!" Tails namesakes fluttered, his voice obviously relieved at the hedgehog's return to consciousness.

"Why do you insist on ruining my fun?" Knuckles questioned as the hedgehog plopped down on the floor next to him.

"Oh, like you never do that to me." Sonic retorted. "Do me a favor and tell the room to stop spinning, wouldja?"

Knuckles, Tails and Haruhi looked at Kyoya, more focused on his notes than the conversation at hand or the fact _he _was to blame for the "spinning room".

"Not to be _rude _or anything..." Kaoru began earnestly.

"But do you mind telling _us _what the hell's going on here?" His brother finished in less-calm tones. "You can start by explaining the talking cats."

"Hedgehog!" Sonic corrected, the exact same time Knuckles and Tails did with their own species. "I look _nothing _like a feline! I sure as hell don't bathe like one either!"

"Considering you bathe at all..." Knuckles remarked, apparently to the ceiling.

"C'mon guys, cool it." Haruhi cut across before Sonic offered a rebuttal, which was sure to come.

"Don't tell me what to do." Knuckles turned on Haruhi but pointed to Kyoya, now semi-interested in the almost-argument in the works. "I still have a bone to pick with you, four-eyes."

"Is that so?" Kyoya didn't even look up.

"Yes, it _is_! Just what were you getting at throwing that box at us?" Knuckles demanded.

"What'da you mean _us_?" Sonic said acerbically.

"And I suppose you tying us up was supposed to be an act of peace?" The twins asked, folding their arms.

"You tied them up?" Tamaki echoed in shock, looking at Knuckles. "And here I thought we were all starting to become pals!"

"Fat chance!" The twins and Knuckles grated.

"You didn't even give it a _chance_!" Tamaki looked from Knuckles to the twins, neither side budging.

"Well, this is going well..." Haruhi rolled her eyes.

"Maybe we should just play some trust game or something, ya know?" Sonic shrugged. "Could help the whole _bonding _thing."

"That's it!" Tamaki exclaimed, so loud in fact it took a few minutes for the echoes to fade. "We'll go on a vacation! All of us! _Together_!"

"That sounds _great_, Tama-chan!" Honey beamed. "Doesn't that sound great, Takashi?"

A nod. Can't expect too much from Mori.

"How about it, Haruhi?" Tamaki nudged their female member playfully. "It'd be perfect! We could spend the entire upcoming break at Kyoya's family's private beach just like before! Wouldn't that be fantastic?"

Haruhi thought for a moment. Last time they had gone to that beach memories certainly _had _been made, though whether they were good or bad was still up for debate. Still, she had enjoyed herself for the most part.

"Sure," she said eventually. "I think time down there will do us good."

"Yay!" Tamaki cheered triumphantly then shifted his ever-so-clever gaze to the twins, who were trying their best not to look him in the eye.

The next couple of week until their break went by in a blur. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles hung around campus (i.e. in the rose maze), saying they were used to being outside anyways. As long as they stayed out of sight, everyone promised to give them treats when they brought food. Knuckles never accepted these, saying he wasn't "anyone's damn pet." He ever had to worry about that, however, whenever the twins brought them food. They were still bitter about being tied up in the closet, but Knuckles never showed any sign or even a sliver of remorse. The twins hit it off with Sonic right away though. When the moment deemed the chance worthy, the trio would play "pranks" on the echidna. He never took them gracefully.

Every time Haruhi heard them all arguing, she felt the time at the beach seemed years away. She also felt that it was all for nothing; no amount of "bonding" could ever bring those guys together. But the day did come, and the ride to Okinawa was tense and uncomfortable. Tamaki insisted they all take the same limo. The air was practically electric as they all sat, rather comfortably, in one of Kyoya's limos, but Tails kept pressing every button he could reach. Haruhi thought Knuckles would explode when a button made something shoot out from the ceiling and hit him in the nose. Tails apologized profusely but Knuckles was in a foul mood until he jumped out the car. He was gone before their luggage was unpacked, but no one seemed to notice.

"Alright, everyone!" Tamaki erupted joyfully. "Quality time with friends is what this is all about! After this week, we'll all be the best of friends, I know it!" No one was really listening to him. Tails and Honey were flying around near the ground, and Kyoya was sitting in the shade of a large umbrella, taking notes with intense dedication.

"Uh, sempai...Everyone's gone," Haruhi muttered, sitting herself down in the shade. She was in her regular shorts and t-shirt again. She felt she'd rather avoid a scene with Tamaki again. For some reason, he never wanted her to be in a bathing suit, not that she really cared either way.

At Haruhi's words, Tamaki looked around in shock. He could never imagine why no one ever listened to his wonderful and very insightful words. He ran towards the twins and the hedgehog as they inched even further from the water, chattering constantly. Haruhi was a tad worried about how much the trio had in common. She figured nothing good could come from the "devil type" making friends that were just as bad as they were.

By sunset, to prove her point true, the devilish trio had played half a dozen pranks on the host club members, Haruhi included (though she'd admit she had walked right into it). They only ceased when the last rays of sun waned and gave way to a thousand tinier balls of gas as everyone went inside. Well, everyone except Sonic who claimed he'd be spending the night outside (not that it surprised anyone).

Halfway through the night, however, he came in anyway, laying himself on the armchair in the living room.

"I thought you were sleepin' outside," Hikaru was the only one in the room and sitting on the couch, though the hedgehog heard someone shuffle in the kitchen.

"I was, but..." Rather than explain Sonic just pointed to the window that took up half the opposite wall.

Hikaru looked. Seeing the sky completely black with rain clouds made him think sleeping out wouldn't be all too bright. Not only that but it reminded him of the last time it had stormed while they were staying here and what they had discovered about Haruhi.

Was it going to storm?

"Probably." Sonic's response made the twin aware he had spoken aloud without realizing.

The hedgehog looked at him.

"Why? Are you afraid of them or something?"

"Not me." Hikaru shook his head. "It's Haruhi. Last time we were here we all found out she gets so scared during storms she can barely move."

"Weird. She never struck me as the type of person who'd be scared of something like that," Sonic said, more to himself than the twin.

"She _is_ a girl you know..." Hikaru muttered, looking back at the window as a short silence ensued. By the end of it a grin had cracked on the hedgehog's face.

"You _like _her, don't you?" Sonic's question made the twin blink, a slight flush coming over his face.

"Don't be stupid." Hikaru gave a short laugh before finding himself face-to-face with the hedgehog, only a slight breeze to announce his abrupt movement, as he stood on the arm of the couch.

"Funny," Sonic said thoughtfully. "Knuckles tells me that all the time. Though it's usually to cover up some lie he just said."

Before the twin could reply an abrupt flash of lighting filled the room, causing the two to jump. From the kitchen there was the sound of breaking glass followed by a small scream.

"Haruhi..." Hikaru glanced in the kitchen's direction to Sonic and back again before jumping up and going to the kitchen, leaving the hedgehog alone.

For the briefest of seconds he thought of following the twin but something told him he'd only be interrupting, plus, another thunderous boom reminded him that someone else, in the shape of a young fox, would probably be needing him more than those two.

Sonic hurried through the large vacation home, opening every door he got to. He walked in on Tamaki mumbling in his sleep, Kyoya, who was still awake, typing on his laptop, Kaoru sleeping restlessly, hugging a pillow and Honey sleeping peacefully with Mori sitting in the second bed reading a book. None of them took any notice to him, but when he made it to a bathroom, he found the door to be locked. He knocked lightly and muttered, "Tails? Little bro, you in there?"

It was almost eerily quiet until there was a flash and a roaring boom simultaneously. He heard a little squeak from the room and the door was unlocked and open in less than a second. Tails squeezed Sonic tightly as they toppled over from the fox's tackle. He was shaking, and his namesakes wrapped around Sonic too.

Sonic smiled slightly and patted the young cub's head. "It's all right, little bud," he said as another boom nearly shook the house and the fox buried his face in the hedgehog's torso.

Back in the kitchen, Hikaru found Haruhi jammed in one of the bottom cabinets squeezed in a ball as tightly as she could manage, the pots that used to be in there originally strewn all over the floor. As he opened the cabinet, lighting and thunder erupted from the sky and Haruhi cried, her hands shielding her ears from the violence.

"Haruhi," Hikaru whispered, "c'mon." He stretched his hands toward her, but she didn't budge. He sighed and kneeled down in front of her. He heard the rain patter on the far window, and remembered their "vacation" in Karuizawa when he found her just like this under a table in a tiny chapel. He took her hands gently and she opened her eyes, a couple tears escaping as she looked around the large kitchen.

"It's all right, Haruhi." He smiled and tried to pull her up, but she refused.

"No. No, really, it's okay," she muttered quickly, shutting her eyes. "I'm fine."

Hikaru eyed her, not letting go of her hands. She had her head bowed into her knees, her shoulders shaking slightly. He looked towards the door and thought about how Kaoru wouldn't be sleeping very well without him and smiled as he thought of him clinging to a pillow. But when he looked back at Haruhi, and realized no one else would be coming down here anytime soon, he knew who really needed him the most right now.

He shook his head, thinking himself to be crazy, and crawled into the cabinet next to Haruhi, and he hugged her shoulders as tightly as he dared as she buried her face in his chest as the storm rolled on, reassuring her that everything would be fine all the while.

And hoping like hell no one saw this.

Meanwhile, Kyoya paused with his eyes focused on his laptop.

"Does he do that often?" Kyoya's question was directed to the corner, devoid of light seeing as how his laptop's light was none too bright.

A scoff.

"He's just looking for his 'adopted little brother,'" Knuckles replied with no real interest or concern from where he was leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

"Is that so?" Kyoya turned his gaze to the echidna, his eyes invisible behind the glare of his glasses. "That's just a tad unusual, isn't it? A hedgehog and a fox...Then again I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised considering you and your friends are an alien race."

Knuckles narrowed his eyes.

"They're _not _my friends." He corrected bluntly. "I can hardly call someone like Sonic a _person _let alone one I enjoy being around."

A grin appeared on Kyoya's face as he resumed typing. Confused, and feeling utterly ignored, the echidna walked over and quirked an eye ridge.

"Mind explaining to me what exactly you're doing?" Knuckles asked, looking at the screen with no small amount of confusion.

"Curious?" Kyoya didn't even look at him, yet there was something smug in his voice the echidna didn't like.

"Considering _this _is all you've been doing since we got here, you could say that." Knuckles stated, trying not to sound too interested. "Plus you strike me as the dark, loner type despite the endless haze of ecstasy your friends seem to be in."

Kyoya smirked ever so slightly.

"One could say the same about you," he looked from the screen to fix the echidna with a furtive look.

"Let me guess," Knuckles rolled his eyes. "This 'one' is you, right?"

"It's a possibility," was Kyoya's response as his gaze shifted back. "Excuse my _own_ curiosity, if you may, but how exactly did you three become...acquaintances?" He asked carefully, seeing a warning flash behind the echidna's purple eyes.

Knuckles paused for a moment, then saw no harm in passing along this particular tale.

"Basically those two crashed into my home one unfortunate afternoon, and I had been tricked into thinking they were there to steal something of immense value to me. Then we fought, I realized the truth, we fought together and have been on some slim truce ever since then." Knuckles shook his head, recounting all the times since then he had been dragged on some crackpot adventure of Sonic's. "Even _that _doesn't stop me from getting roped into psychotic journeys with those two and, I'll tell you this, Sonic has got to be the biggest _moron _I know. He's reckless, hyperactive, suicidal, you name it."

"And yet you still follow him when he asks for your assistance?" Kyoya questioned and Knuckles didn't answer. He didn't need to, his point had been made and he didn't feel like engaging in needless gossip anymore.

As the echidna moved back to the corner of the room, Kyoya grinned in the darkness. Perhaps, it would seem, there was a sort of bond to be had here.

**Pshaw! Hope y'all enjoyed that cause it just gets better from here on...well sorta ;) Please do review. What's a minute gonna kill? ;)**


	4. The Beach, a Dog and the Chandalier

**Redrover65912: Awe. Well thank you and if you like Haruhi and Hikaru I'm sure you'll LOVE this chapter ;)**

**Forsaken Avenger: I personally love those little moments between Sonic and Tails :D Guess what? There's more HikaruxHaruhi in this chappie! Enjoy.**

**TG101:YES! Amy haters ftw XD I love Team Sonic. The end :P As for the devilish trio, what do you expect putting people like that together? Nothing but fun, that's what ;P**

**kassehface: Get a life woman :P And while you're at it continue with the masterpiece, would'ja? Everyone loves those two together XD**

**Tenten628: Your senses are sharp cause there's more to come! Who knows? Maybe something AMAZING will happen ;)**

**NXT4eva: That poor, little minute. Glad you love it despite the confused timing…thing XD Hmm….Well bonding with nine guys (three of which are a different species) and one girl would LOOK dirty to XD XD XD**

**Shadowonground: Yes. Poor, poor Tamaki. How will he ever survive? After all it's not like he's a moron or anything :P**

**Sotorohenge: Everyone keeps saying that :'D I see flaws in the characters but I'm just a tad strange so it's normal ****J**** Yes. I love the idea of Knuckles and Kyoya being 'buddies' (and not just 'cause they're my favourite characters :P)**

**Lol: You're name is so easy to remember XD I dunno, bonding might just pull through for this odd bunch. Or not. Either way you'll have to read to find out :P**

**Tamafanowo: Kyoya and Knuckles just plain rule. End of discussion :D**

**Super Shadowsonic: I'm so very glad you like it so far. Trust me more will come and I hope you enjoy it all ****J**

The next morning, Haruhi woke from the sun shining in her face. She sighed and rubbed her eyes as she sat up in her bed. She couldn't remember getting there; all she could conjure up was the thunder, and she shuddered. Whatever happened last night was shadowed by her absolute terror.

She got out of her bed and walked toward the window that took up most of the wall.. She gazed over the ocean and watched the waves crash over each other and wash over the beach countless times. A smile came over her as she placed a hand on the window and felt the sun's warmth seep through. Today would be a good day, and she knew it. She changed clothes and practically skipped down the stairs to the dining room where everyone was already waiting for her, munching on random, expensive assorted goodies.

"Good morning, Haruhi!" Tamaki exploded joyfully as she walked in. "It's such a beautiful day! And I've decided we're _all _spending it together." Before the twins could protest, which everyone knew was coming, he added finally. "Whether you like it or not." He shot a glance at the red-haired duo and the blue hedgehog between them. They all seemed to pout and cross their arms simultaneously, which Haruhi found almost scary. They were too much alike.

"Tamaki, what're we all doing today?" Honey asked loudly, waving the bite of cake he had at the end of his fork.

"Well! I figured we could all spend some bonding time on the beach!" Tamaki grinned widely, his arms outstretched toward the window facing the ocean.

Haruhi rolled her eyes but the twins beat her to the punch. "Wow, boss, you think of that all by yourself?" Tamaki didn't respond. In fact, he didn't seem moved at all, his grin plastered on his face.

Kyoya stood up and patted his mouth with his napkin, then walked towards the door. "You heard him, everyone. Quality time. In the meantime..." And with that he left. Haruhi watched him go then stared out the window. She just wanted to walk along the beach today, nothing fancy. She should've known by now that 'fancy' should be considered part of her life whenever she was around the host club. She sighed and nibbled aimlessly at her fancy eggs, not noticing the hedgehog's almost worried stare out the window or the echidna leaving the room silently. Neither wanted this "get to know each other day", though they had their different reasons.

At least Honey and Tails seemed excited. As they finished their 'fancy' breakfast the duo immediately began planning the day ahead, with the average addition by Tamaki which is why by the end of breakfast the plan consisted of: frolicking in the water for the majority of the time and if any time remained, building sand castles, volleyball and exploring the nearby caverns.

"What the heck is volleyball?" Sonic asked, quirking an eye ridge.

"Some pointless sport involving a ball and net," Hikaru explained, or at least he wanted to before common sense kicked in, and he glanced at Tamaki's expression of awe at the hedgehog's question and he settled for "you'll see."

"Alright!" Tamaki pumped a fist into the air. "Let's get started gang!"

It took every ounce of self-control the twins, and Sonic, had to _not _make some sound of protest as Tamaki practically forced them out the door, while yelling for Kyoya and his 'red shadow' to follow them, while Haruhi followed at her own pace (at least until Tamaki's shrill demand turned on her).

"Alright!" Tamaki turned to face the group, that he had forced into a rough police line-up. "_All_ of us are going to participate and _enjoy_ today! We can here to _bond_ and we're going to do just that, even if it's the last thing we do!"

"To anyone else, bonding with anthropomorphic animals would be downright unusual." Haruhi muttered, not quite under her breath. "To the Host Club it's just typical."

"Funny you should say that Haruhi considering you're the only one here who hasn't interacted with our new found friends nearly as much as the rest of us," Tamaki eyed her quizzically. "Almost as if you were...afraid."

Haruhi rolled her eyes.

"That's no where near the reason," she shook her head, sounding boreder than ever. "We were just graced with the presence of a two-tailed fox, a hot-tempered..."

"Echidna." Knuckles filled in shortly.

"Echidna, and a blue hedgehog who runs on some limitless power supply, just a few weeks ago. To tell you the truth I'm not sure _what _to think of that, let alone how to act."

"Friendly might be an option," Hikaru suggested, and not so much sarcastically as a true fact. Last night's events still weren't entirely pushed to the back of _his_ mind, and a part of him was hoping a certain hedgehog was good at keeping secrets.

Speaking of the spiny rodent, where was he?

"Wait a sec'!" Having realized the 'rodent's' absence just as Hikaru did. Tamaki looked around (even going as far as to spin in a complete circle), seeing no sign of the hedgehog h asked, "where'd Sonic go?"

Seen only to Honey, Knuckles and Tails looked at each other in the way of two people quite aware of the missing party's location in addition to the reason behind it.

It didn't matter much because the sudden rustle of the palm tree behind them soon informed everyone to the hedgehog's location.

"Sonic!" Tamaki's less-than-happy tones informed the small rebel he was endangering the 'bonding time' the club's leader had planned on.

"Hm?" Judging from the response Tamaki got the hedgehog wasn't going to be inclined to move anytime soon.

"Get down here and enjoy this time with us!" Tamaki demanded looking very much like he'd climb the tree's trunk and haul the rebel down himself.

"Yeah!" The twins agreed in unison, though they had identical, mischievous smiles pasted on their faces. "Get down here and suffer like the rest of us!"

"No thanks, " Sonic laid back, lacing his hands behind his head. "I'll just stay up here, catch some rays, swimming's never really been my thing to tell you the truth."

"Oh no you don't," Knuckles scowled up at the hedgehog (unfortunately the gesture was lost in the leaves). "_You _wanted to stay with these humans therefore you're going to damn well participate in every one of their pathetic bonding attempts."

"And I suppose _you're _going to make me, right Knucklehead?" Sonic said in a way that said it wasn't going to happen in a million years.

"Damn straight." Sonic heard him mutter and rolled over just enough to see the echidna pull back his fist, clearly aiming for the tree's defenseless trunk.

"Hey, wait!" Sonic snapped, and was surprised when Knuckles actually did (only to fix the hedgehog with a "give-me-a-good-reason-why-I-shouldn't-break-this-tree-like-a-toothpick" look). "Because, um..." Sonic thought for a quick moment. "Because acting on an angry impulse is something only a puggle would do."

The resulting laughter and coos of the Host Club told the hedgehog that wasn't the brightest thing to say.

"What's a puggle?" Honey asked, moving his head to one side.

"A baby." Tails explained briefly only to have Kyoya elaborate with, "a baby echidna."

"Hey, he said it, not me." Sonic raised his hands defensively as Knuckles shot him a killing glare.

"You're going to pay for that one, _Maurice_." The echidna spoke the last word so smoothly and with such a sly grin that Sonic would have enjoyed nothing more than slicing him in half by the simple means of spin dash.

"Okay, _that_ was a low blow," Sonic grated.

Knuckles shrugged.

"True. So is this." Without stopping this time, the echidna drew his fist back and smashed the trunk into bits with no real amount of effort.

The hedgehog gave a yelp as he landed in the sand with a thud, the tree seemingly disintigrating around him. Knuckles raised an eye ridge as he crossed his arms. "Get of your ass," he nearly growled as Tamaki gave a look of absolute disbelief.

"Now, Knuckles," he started, trying to sound more mature then everyone knew was possible. "That is _not _what today is about. We're supposed to be _nice _to each other!"

"That _was _Knucklehead being 'nice,'" Sonic stated. "He didn't even try." He stood up and dusted his fur, avoiding everyone's gaze. Knuckles stood in the sun, arms crossed tightly as he stared out towards the ocean.

"It's true," Tails interrupted. "He could've done more damage to that tree then turning it to twigs." He picked one up off the ground by Sonic's feet and looked at it thoughtfully. "We've seen him do worst to cliffsides." The little fox said this like he was explaining the weather to someone incompetent. The majority of the club gave Knuckles worried glances. Personally, Haruhi couldn't believe the little echidna to do anything like what he just did to a _cliff_, but she also didn't want to find out the truth firsthand.

"Well, now that we're all on the beach, let's begin the bonding!" Tamaki raised his hands into the air and ran towards Knuckles who turned, confused to Tamaki's approaching figure. The blonde burst of energy grabbed his fist and continued galloping to the water. Haruhi furrowed her brow. Did Tamaki have short-term memory loss? Or maybe he was just an idiot.

Honey cheered, riding on Mori's shoulders, who ran into the water after the first two, Tails right above them, his namesakes spinning in a blur. Kyoya stayed where he was, showing no intention of moving, which was expected, no on wanted his notebook to get wet, for fear of the consequences. The twins chased Sonic to another tree. When the blue menace refused to come down of his own accord, the duo took to shaking the tree with no remorse, yelling at him all the while about how they were doing it for his own good.

Haruhi shook her head and sat in the shade, figuring no one would notice her absence from the chaos. She watched as Sonic fell (on his head, no doubt) and the twins appeared on both his sides, rising him from the elbows so his feet couldn't reach the ground. He flung his feet uselessly in the air as they all made their way to the water, the twins laughing triumphantly.

"No, really! _Guys_!" She heard Sonic cry when they made it to the water's edge, but nothing could stop the two brothers from tossing him in the commotion of Tamaki trying to keep Knuckles in the water.

Much like the effect of a row of dominos, the hedgehog slammed into Knuckles and the resulting momentum sent the echidna crashing into Tamaki, who slipped into Mori who unintentionally dropped Honey on Tails as the whole group fell over with a splash.

On the shore, safe from the soggy dog pile, Haruhi couldn't help but laugh as the group managed to stand up with no small amount of effort. Finding this event equally as hilarious, the twins busted into hysterics until the group managed to pull themselves ashore.

"Glad to see you're finally enjoying yourselves..." Knuckles said with dripping sarcasm as he attempted to sluice water off himself. "I sure hope it was worth giving your hedgehog buddy a heart attack."

To respond to the puzzled looks aimed his way, the echidna pointed to said hedgehog currently latched on to a more puzzled Mori (though he didn't show it), who was beginning to lose feeling in his leg.

"Whoa..." The twins looked at each other then turned back. "What's wrong with him?"

Knuckles folded his arms and resisted the urge to blurt out some never-ending list of the hedgehog's faults.

"Well let's stop and consider the fact that Sonic's a chronic hydrophobe for a second," the echidna said in the same tones. "What do _you_ think is wrong?"

"Is he going to be okay?" Honey asked doubtfully, poking Sonic's arm (one of the four limbs wrapped around Mori's leg in a death grip) and found the hedgehog a complete brain-lock.

"He'll be okay..." Tails assured. "Once we snap him out of it, anyway..."

In truth this was often easier said then done, as both Knuckles and Tails knew too well, and it seemed to get more and more difficult every time it happened. _Why _it happened neither of them were quite sure of and had never bother to find out (or rather, they'd mention it and Sonic would downright ignore it).

"And how are we supposed to do that exactly?" Kaoru asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Anyone know the location of the nearest crowbar?" Knuckles raised an eye ridge.

"I don't think he would move even if we tried to pry him off..." Tamaki stated, eyeing the hedgehog's grip.

"Actually I was think more along the lines of hitting him with it," Knuckles informed then shook his head. "But you're probably right..."

"Maybe if we threw a glass of water in his face..." Hikaru suggested in such tones that no one could tell if he was serious or not.

"Don't cha think he's had _enough _water?" Tails questioned with a hint of annoyance. "Maybe we should just-"

The fox cut off as Mori abruptly reached down to rip the brain dead annoyance off his limb, that didn't so much as make a sound, lift him up by the scruff of his neck and raised him to eye level. Before anyone could protest, the silent giant drew his hand back and hit the hedgehog _once_ across the face, not particularly hard but more than enough to be felt.

And it worked!

Sonic blinked once as Mori lowered him to his feet.

"I could have done _that_!" Knuckles exclaimed, looking accusingly at Mori, who just shrugged.

"We _know_ you could've." Tamaki said, rather sourly as he rubbed his ear and made a mental note to not stand near the echidna during his 'angry time.'

"You just wanted to be picky and do it with a crowbar," Tails added slyly.

"Why didn't you tell us you didn't like the water?" Kaoru asked Sonic who shot him an incredulous look.

"What part of 'swimming not my thing' or 'no, really guys' didn't you understand?" The hedgehog said crossing his arms and ignoring the slight trepidation of his body.

The twins looked at each other.

"But that could have meant _anything_," they shrugged and Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Forget it." He held up a hand to mimic their shrug, then turned to Tamaki. "I can stay out of the water _now_, right?"

"Of course!" Tamaki made it sound like he didn't even need to ask. "I don't want you dying in some hydrophobic shock before the real fun starts! But you still have to stay were I can see you."

"Fine by me." Sonic said before zipping over to the same shady spot where Haruhi sat and laying down in the sand, hands behind his head and eyes closed, completely ignoring the female.

Haruhi shot the alien creature a quick glance, then went to mimicking his indifference, looking towards where everyone else was making their way back to the water. She smiled when she saw Tamaki yelling at Knuckles, the echidna's arms crossed, to get in.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Sonic said her name. He didn't sound mad, which made her feel ridiculous, being scared by that. He sounded bored, if anything.

"Uh, yeah?" She replied without looking at him.

"Why are you here?" He kept his eyes closed, still reclined beside her.

Haruhi sighed. "You know why. Tamaki wants us to bon-"

"No, _stupid_." Sonic opened one eye and looked her way. "Here with...all these morons." He nodded his head toward the water where the club was splashing each other childishly. "You seem like you'd be smarter than that. And you're a girl. I mean, I enjoy cross-dressing as much as the next guy, but _really_?" He returned closing his eyes and assumed his sleeping position.

Haruhi looked from the hedgehog to her fellow club members and back again. Her answer wouldn't come quickly; sometimes she didn't know why she put herself through their madness. But then she would remember how much fun she would have, just sitting around and laughing with the guys, all the crazy adventures she'd been through with them, how she felt like they were, well, almost family.

It just felt right to say.

"That so?" Sonic raised his eye-ridges, but his eyes remained closed. "That's the only reason, is it?"

Haruhi gave his figure a confused look. "Well, yeah. They're all like brothers to me, and being an only child, I kinda like that."

Sonic scoffed. "_Brothers_?" He shook his head and muttered something she couldn't hear, then added, audibly, "You think someone smart as you wouldn't be so damn blind."

Haruhi glared at him. She was used to being called dense but this guy was just...infuriating.

"What about you, Mr. Genius? Agreeing to come to the beach where water scares the hell outta you." She couldn't help but tsk in his direction and look away, fuming. It was silent between them for a while, and the only sounds were Honey's giggling and water splashing.

Haruhi was just cooling off when the hedgehog spoke. "You want the truth?" he asked, almost mockingly.

"Naw. Lie to me." She turned to his direction, and saw his brow furrowed, gazing toward the water. He scoffed softly, a small smile on his lips.

"You should've heard that cub going on about it. Couldn't let the little guy down, could I?" He gave her a look of total sincerity, the smile genuine. Maybe Haruhi had this guy pegged all wrong.

She looked away, a little conflicted. "Oh," she muttered as she hugged her knees. She suddenly wanted to get up and walk around, even more than she did earlier.

It was quiet again, and Haruhi watched the little fox cub lift Honey into the air again, laughing openingly, zooming between everyone, and finally landing with a large splash. She smiled, seeing the two laugh together.

When she glanced back at the hedgehog, she couldn't tell if he was sleeping or just faking it. She found that a good excuse to keep her thoughts to herself.

Maybe these guys weren't so weird and different after all.

Still, Haruhi felt some ting of unnerve but she just assumed it came from not having any animals growing up (let alone ones that could talk), though she had wanted a cat when she was younger. She didn't know why exactly, she just found them to be adorable especially their ears.

Thinking back, she remembered how she first thought Sonic and the others were cats and felt a small grin spread on her face. She couldn't have been more wrong...At least when it can to Knuckles and Tails. Taking a second look she told herself she hadn't been _too_ off with Sonic.

Before she realized what it was, a sudden urge to flick the hedgehog's ears took over her. In fact, the only thing that held her back was that she didn't want to wake him up, if he really was sleeping. Still, urge outweighed manners and she slowly inched over to the 'sleeping' mammal. He didn't move, didn't even twitch, as her hand drew ever closer.

_Maybe he __really__ is asleep..._Haruhi thought, though it wasn't a surprise since sleeping, eating and running seemed to be all the hedgehog did. She paused briefly the figured _what the heck _and poked her nearest target, drawing back as it flicked back reflectively.

Still, Sonic did nothing, making Haruhi wonder if he had died or something but dismissed it because she could never be so lucky.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki's over excited shouting of her name made said female jump and take a deep breath to slow her pulse.

"What?" She called back in far less friendly tones.

Tamaki held up a white ball and waved it around wildly. "Come play with us! Stop being a lump!"

Haruhi groaned. While she didn't mind sports all _that_ much it was a completely different story when the Host Club got _into_ it. When that happened, the boys put slaughter to shame. It happened every time and Haruhi was willing to jump onto any chance she could find to avoid it.

She was just opening her mouth to shout some poor excuse when the twins appeared in front of her ad lifted her to her feet with ease.

"We're not letting you talk your way out of this one!" They chimed together dragging her towards the rest of the group, ignoring her protests.

"Alright!" Tamaki cheered, grabbing Haruhi from the twins. "Haruhi's on my team."

"Hey!" The twins glared at him and snatched her back. "We don't think so!"

For the next couple of minutes Haruhi would experience just what it felt like to be a rope in a game of tug-a-war between equally determined sides. She swore her arms would have popped off if Kyoya hadn't intervened.

"Perhaps the three of you should cooperate on a single team." Kyoya suggested.

"Cooperate?" Hikaru spoke the word as if it were taboo. "_Forget it._ There's no way we're going to be able to work with 'The King.'"

"But you shall cooperate with me," Kyoya said daringly. "Along with Honey and Mori."

"Wait..." Tamaki paused to register this. "Then you mean..."

"That's right." Knuckles cut in, flexing his arms pointingly. "It's _us_ against you seven."

"Is that wise?" Tamaki asked in panic, knowing full-well a certain echidna would want revenge for being forced to enjoy himself. "I don't want to die so young!"

"I think it sounds fun!" Honey practically jumped into the air to give his input.

"Then it's decided," Kyoya confirmed, pushing up his glasses with the tip of his pen. "The Host Club verses our new found friends."

"They're going to murder me..." Tamaki muttered from his emo corner.

"Hey Sonic!" Tails shouted to his adoptive big brother, who was next to him before the fox had even blinked.

"What's up?" The hedgehog said, in his same perky tones that made Haruhi wonder if she hadn't imagined his acerbic attitude before.

"We're going to play volleyball!" Honey explained. "Wanna play?"

Sonic thought for a second, a debate clear on his face.

"It's us against Ootori's bunch." Knuckles pointed out, obviously amused with the idea.

"We'll, when you put it like _that_," Sonic cocked his head to one side, feigning a deep thought, before breaking into a grin that threatened to split his face in two. "Let's do it!"

Honey cheered excitedly until Sonic asked, "So...What _is_ volleyball?"

"Oh, right," Hikaru started.

"You don't really know," Kaoru finished. They patted the hedgehog's head, and he zipped out of the way, his face a bit irritated.

"It's just this," the two chimed as they rushed to the net, each on separate sides. Kaoru served, and his brother ran up to the net, jumped and spiked it with no mercy.

"Easy." They grinned at Sonic's understanding of their weak explanation. He seemed to think very intently for a minute the suddenly pounded a fist into his open palm.

"Alright, let's give this a shot!" They all bounded to their sides of the net, everyone agreeing on 3-on-3 games. The first three up against The Fuzzies were the twins and Tamaki. Kaoru served again, and before it even made it over the net, it seemed to whip in the opposite direction in midair and hit Tamaki straight in the face.

The twins burst into laughter as Tamaki stayed in place, his face red and imprinted with volleyball lines.

"What was _that_?" Tamaki shouted, handling his face, tears shining in his eyes but not spilling over.

"What was _what_?" Sonic called back innocently. "It made it over the net, didn't it?"

"I think he grasped the concept quite nicely, don't you?" Kaoru uttered, holding his sides, but his brother couldn't reply as he fell to the sand on his back, not even making any sounds, his face plastered with laughter.

Tamaki whirled in their direction still red faced. "It's not funny, guys!" he nearly whimpered, then cowered in his little corner of woe. "I knew this would happen..."

Haruhi rolled her eyes. If they weren't being ridiculously competitive, they were usually just ridiculous.

"I suppose Tamaki finds himself unable to play any longer," Kyoya stated. " Haruhi, you go fill in."

"No, wait!" Haruhi protested as the twins scooped her up, something they seemed to be doing a lot to people lately, and brought her to the net area. "Why do _I_ have to go?"

"Because I said so." Was Kyoya's blunt response and Haruhi groaned, looking at her newly appointed opponents.

She felt something in her die upon seeing their determined looks.

"You can do it, Haru-chan!" Honey's enthusiastic cheering did little to ease the female.

"Thanks..." Haruhi replied in tones ten times _less_ ecstatic. "But, in case you haven't noticed, it's _their_ turn to serve."

"If you're worried about us hitting _you_, don't sweat it." Sonic assured, tossing the ball the air and catching it idlely as he shot a pointing look at the twins who shot each other with _oh, snap_ looks.

"Pounding on us won't change anything!" Hikaru defended.

Sonic shrugged. "True. But it'll make me feel oh-so-happy."

"You guys are screwed." Haruhi stated, a small grin tugging at her mouth.

"Thanks for the support..." The twins muttered then braced themselves as the hedgehog casually threw the ball in the air and served it with far more force than needed. It was only luck that allowed Kaoru to return it with half the force, and hurting his hand in the process.

This time it was Knuckles who hit the ball back, nearly taking off Hikaru's head and earning The Fuzzies yet another point.

_Yeah...I'm going to die_, Haruhi thought eyeing the ball stuck in the ground.

And she nearly did to. How many times? She had lost count by the time the games had ended and it became to dark to see clearly (well for the Host Club anyway). The club's slaughter had continued even after all the member had gone against the violent trio all at once, forcing them to accept their failure like men (except Haruhi, who is in fact a women).

Like most people who had just played a rigorous, back-breaking sport (and lost) for hours at a time, everyone was absolutely starved but, because no one was up to the challenge of cooking for a group larger than one (and the fact there was no maids) everyone fended for themselves but still ended up eating together at the large dining table by some magical force of...magic

Too bad that same magic couldn't save them from being involuntary witnesses to a certain hedgehog's unusual, and downright disgusting, choice of eats. While Knuckles and Tails were quite used to the hedgehog's ferocity when it came to his consumption of chili dogs, though it still took them back somewhat, the Host Club had never seen such a display of 'revolting eatery' as Tamaki put it.

"Tell me, Sonic. Are those thermonuclear heart attacks the only things you eat?" Knuckles said with distaste from across the hedgehog . Unlike his blue counterpart the echidna was quite content with his healthy little apple.

"Actually, no." Sonic informed after finishing his latest bite. "Chocolate, milkshakes, fries and fruit are on the list too."

"No cake?" Honey questioned around a mouthful of said sweet.

"Naw. Not too big on it." The hedgehog shook his head. "'S alright sometimes, I guess."

"I love cake!" Honey exclaimed happily waving a forkful of white cream in the air. "I think it's great!"

"Even after it gave you a cavity?" Kaoru raised an eyebrow.

"Of course!" Honey beamed and took another bite.

Then something _amazing_ happened. Mori _spoke_.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth." And that was all. Those six words were enough to cast a short, shocked silence over the group.

"Speaking of hygiene, it's Wednesday right?" Sonic asked, got a somewhat awkward nod from Hikaru, then looked expectantly at Tails, whose ears had noticeably flattened.

"Aw...but Sonic-" Tails began.

"Don't 'aw, but Sonic' me." Sonic cut across with more authority than the Host Club had heard from him before. "Wednesday is bath night Tails, has been for practically four years."

"Exactly," Tails agreed, though there was something more than agreement in his blue eyes. "It's an old tradition. We need a new one!"

Sonic folded his arms, amused. " Nice try, kiddo. Now get in that tub and I don't want to see you again until all that sea water's washed off."

The fox fidgeted, pulling at he tips of his namesakes. "But I dun wanna go down there alone..."

"Tails, nothing's going to eat you down there," Sonic assured, gesturing to Knuckles. "Knucklehead's right here."

"For the record I have no intentions of devouring the kid." The echidna defended, boredly.

Still, the fox remained unconvinced and in the end Sonic had followed him (still insisting nothing was going to eat the cub).

As the two of them left the dining room, the crowd at the table grew awkwardly quiet. Knuckles munched on his apple, acting like he didn't notice the sudden tension, even though all eyes were on him.

"So..." Kaoru broke the silence, running his fork through his failure at making lasagna.

"Sonic and Tails are really close," Hikaru finished flatly, showing no real care at the matter at all.

"I _love_ Tails!" Honey shouted excitedly as he took a huge bite of cake.

Knuckles eyed him, still chewing on his apple. No one said anything until the echidna swallowed and nearly growled, "How old are you, anyways? I thought this was a 'high school' club, whatever _that_ means." He shrugged. "I gathered it wasn't for _toddlers_." He shot a glare at Honey who pouted at his cake.

"Honey-sempai is actually 17, Knuckles," Kyoya stated. The red creature scoffed.

"That doesn't mean much if he doesn't _look_ or _act _the part."

Everyone glanced at Honey quickly. The way he acted never really bothered any of them before. He was just...Honey.

"Don't you think that's a it harsh?" Tamaki interjected. He pointed an accusing finger at Knuckles. "You act like a grumpy old grandpa, but you couldn't be _that _old." The echidna's purple eyes pierced Tamaki's and the King froze, slowly lowering his finger from Knuckles' face.

"How old are _you_?" Hikaru pointed his fork at Knuckles, feeling much better armed than Tamaki's bare finger.

The one in question leaned back in his chair, dropping his apple core on the table, and crossed his arms. "Old enough." He closed his eyes, closing the matter. The twins glanced at Kyoya, expecting some explanation but none came. They shrugged at each other and were about to resume eating when there was an insanely loud scream and an eruption from the doors. Sonic appeared with a gust of wind, his face clearly terrified. Tails was clinging to his torso, his eyes shut tightly.

"There's something coming after us!" Sonic shouted, zooming to the far side of the room.

"A _monster_!" Tails screamed.

"It tried to _eat_ us..." the hedgehog whispered. At that moment the doors burst open, and Tamaki's Labrador bounded to the petrified duo. She barked excitedly and tried to tackle them, but Sonic shot away.

"Oh, no," Haruhi muttered.

"She probably thinks you're a chew toy," Kaoru informed Sonic, who had taken refuge behind him (just as Tails had done to the hedgehog).

"How can you say that like it's no big deal?" Sonic snapped at him then flinched as the dog barked. "That...That _thing_ tried to kill us!"

The _thing_ in question let out a joyous sound before bounding after her new-found objects of amusement. This time, instead of running across the room, Sonic shot straight up and landed squarely on the chandelier, invertly taking Tails with him seeing as how the cub had grabbed onto him in his own panic.

Robbed of access to her toys the Labrador whined and sat directly under the giant light.

"Get lost!" Sonic shouted down at her after a few moments had passed without the lab faltering.

All he got in response was another bark and a smirk from Tamaki, who like everyone else was enjoying the scene.

"You're just _loving_ this, aren't you?" Sonic narrowed his eyes, glaring at the group.

"Any amount of your pain or distress is worth watching," Knuckles stated with a grin.

"I. Hate. You." Sonic growled, separating each word so it was more acerbic than the one before.

"And I can live with that." The echidna shrugged then abruptly froze when _he_ met eyes with Tamaki's dog.

There was a long, challenging silence.

Then she bolted. Straight for the echidna.

Knuckles swore in some unheard language and leapt onto the back of his chair, leaping full three feet into the air, just as his pursuer closed in, and glided smoothly to the opposite wall where he promptly stuck with the help of his namesakes.

"He can _fly_?" The twins were awed which, to Haruhi, made no sense since they didn't seem all that excited when Tails had debuted this same ability.

"_Glide_." Knuckles corrected shortly as he quickly climbed up and out of the dog's reach, barely making it before the canine nabbed his tail.

From the top of the chandelier, Sonic laughed. "See? That's what you get for making fun of me Knucklehead!"

The echidna didn't offer a reply as much as a profane gesture known in any world.

"Oh, yeah." Sonic rolled his eyes. "_That_ was real mature."

"Trust me, it was better than using words while your little sidekick's around." Knuckles said earnestly.

"If you have something to say, say it to my face." Sonic challenged.

Naturally, Knuckles took this challenge. Half-turning, he pushed himself off the wall and glided on a beeline to the chandelier, on which he landed just on the other side of Tails (in between the two combatants). The sudden shift in weight made the massive light dip on the echidna's side, which made Sonic's end rise and throw the hedgehog off-balance. In the battle of gravity verses stumbling hedgehog, gravity would effortlessly take the win and send its opponent crashing into the table below.

While it wasn't the intended motive of the echidna, it was still equally as effective.

"Ow." Sonic muttered, sitting up and rubbing his head (because he always seems to land on it) then glared up at Knuckles.

Haruhi sighed. She had tried to ignore the chaos that had erupted around the room, then moved directly above her head, but that would soon be impossible.

"Here we go again..." The twins shook their heads right before Sonic shot back into the air directly at Knuckles.

"Things were going so well too!" Tamaki whined. "Why do those two hate each other so much?"

"Maybe-" Kaoru was interrupted by a loud, foreboding crack from the ceiling.

All at once, everyone craned their heads back just in time to see a shower of white plaster from the chandelier's fixing fall loose from the roof. Another loud crack snapped Hikaru back to reality. His eyes darted from the threatening chandelier to Haruhi's position.

"Haruhi, move!" Panic. Real panic filled the twin's voice.

Brought back, Haruhi turned to leave but at that second the cord holding the light snapped.

Before he knew what he was doing, Hikaru leapt over the table and tackled Haruhi, grabbing her and rolling the two of them away from the deafening crash. It was total chaos. Antoinette was barking from what seemed like miles away, and Sonic was cursing profusely. Hikaru's head was pounding, but all his effort was bent on trying not to crush Haruhi under his weight and whatever was threatening to crack his back in two. As the rubble settled and the only sound was that damn dog's barking, Hikaru felt his mind begin to haze. Haruhi's eyes were closed, and the twin could see a little blood glisten on her forehead.

_Damn, damn, damn_, he shouted to himself. _Stay with it, stupid_. He shut his eyes tightly and grimaced as a stabbing pain shot through his neck.

"Haruhi!"

"Hikaru! Oh sh-"

"_Dear God_! What the _hell!_?"

Everyone's voices overlapped, drawing the boy's attention.

"Guys!" He managed to utter. "Guys, over here! Hurry!"

"Hikaru!" His brother's voice seemed ready to crack. "Thank God! Where's Haruhi? Are you guys okay? Where are you?"

"_Haruhi!_ Don't fret! Daddy's coming to get you!" Hikaru managed to roll his eyes as he heard Tamaki move some ruble that sounded too far away. There was the sound of broken glass and the King cried out.

Hikaru's limbs were shaking as his mind grew even fuzzier. The weight on his back seemed to get heavier with every second that passed. As he felt he couldn't take anymore, going to give up, the weight seemed to magically disappear. Instead of being able to finally relax, his limbs locked up and he toppled, unmoving on Haruhi.

"Hikaru!" Kaoru flew to his brother's side, flipping him on his back. His twin's face seemed pained, his eyes closed uncomfortably. "C'mon, Bro, wake up," he demanded.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki sobbed and fell to his knees beside her still figure. "Daddy's little angel! Everything will be alright!" He cradled her head gingerly, and Kaoru saw Kyoya emerge with one of his family's famous First-Aid kits.

Haruhi's large eyes fluttered open and she shuffled to sit up slowly, her hand shooting to her head. "Ow..." She glanced at her head, shining fingertips smeared with blood, and whispered "_oh, hell_."

Honey burst into tears and cried, "Haruhi! You're okay, aren't you?" He fell into her lap, squeezing her waist. Haruhi patted his head absently.

"What happened?" she wondered aloud. She noticed Knuckles and Sonic kneeling over Tails, the hedgehog wiping away at the fox's fur. Tails sneezed as the dust puffed from his chest.

"You're fine," Kyoya stated, wiping her forehead with a cloth, not as tenderly as Sonic was to Tails. "Just a little cut. Might need some stitches." He stuck a bandage to her head, then patted it. "Guess you got lucky." And with that he turned to the twins. Kaoru looked immensely stressed.

"He'll be okay, right?" he managed.

"Of course," Kyoya replied. He checked Hikaru's arms, wiping his palms calmly. "He's just a little tired now." He got up and went to tend on the cub, who seemed to be snoring now. Knuckles was standing by the window, ignoring the scene again.

Haruhi rubbed her head, Tamaki and Honey still sobbing all over her. Mori lifted Hikaru off the floor and carried him out of the room.

"You all right, Haruhi?" Kaoru smiled slightly, still kneeling on the rubble.

She nodded -a bad move- and winced, "Yeah...yeah, I think so."

Kaoru nodded and got up. "Well, I'll be needing to...yeah..." and he followed Mori and his brother out of the room.

There was a silence as they left the room (except for the cub's snoring). For what seemed like years no one dared to break it either. In the end, Tamaki sighed.

"I think..." He began quietly, then cleared his throat and began again. "I think it would be best if everyone retired for the night..."

"Agreed." Kyoya said, finished with the snoozing cub. "We can deal with these affairs later." Then he left.

"C'mon Haruhi," Tamaki gingerly lifted the female to her feet and lead her out of the room with Honey padding along at her heels.

"You _still_ want to hang around these humans?" Knuckles asked after another silence, not taking his eyes off the window. His purple eyes seemed to glow in the moon light.

"What do you have against them?" Sonic turned his attention away from Tails to look at the echidna whose face had twitched slightly.

"They're a bunch of idiots." Was the expected response.

"I'm not denying that," Sonic said, leaping on top of a pile of rubble, balancing on one large chunk of plaster. "But are they _really_ all that different from us?"

Knuckles scoffed. "Not from _you_ and your sidekick."

The hedgehog clicked his tongue in that typical smug way of his.

"So..." Sonic began slowly as if Knuckles was partly deaf. "You hate all of them and think they're not worth your time, is that it?"

"Precisely." Knuckles blunted, though there was a touch of something else in his tones.

"Oh really?" The hedgehog hopped off the rubble and landed next to the echidna. "If that's the truth then why did you save Hikaru and Haruhi?"

As a response, Knuckles remained silent and Sonic simply sighed. The echidna could curse and complain as much as he wanted about staying with humans, even Sonic could see he had developed a soft spot for them.

"So what do we do now?" Knuckles' question caught the hedgehog off guard for a second.

Sonic shrugged. "Not sure. But I think it's clear we need to get lost for a while." His eyes scanned the room, looking like a small twister has just passed through.

"And go _where_ exactly?"

"Oh...I have a place in mind."

"And _how_ are we going to get there?"

"What is this? A questionnaire?" Sonic rolled his eyes as he withdrew a large, blue emerald.

Knuckles' eye twitched. "You don't mean..."

"Oh yeah." Sonic grinned, destroying the echidna's hopes as easily as the roof had crumbled. "We're traveling Chaos Control."

Knuckles groaned. This night couldn't get any worse...

"Tails," Sonic bent down and nudged the cub who mumbled a protest sleepily. "C'mon, lil' bro, get up."

The fox yawned and his eyes opened slowly.

"You alright?" Sonic asked.

"M' head hurts..." Tails mumbled, rubbing his head in question, then caught sight of the emerald in his brother's hand. "What's goin' on?"

"We're leaving." Sonic replied and only realized he probably should have elaborated when the cub's expression became one of downfall.

"B-but why?" Tails' ears flattened. "I don't wanna-"

"Not forever. Just until things around here cool down." Sonic cut in and the fox noticeably relaxed. "Frankly I think it'd be better if we weren't around to cause trouble."

"Where we gonna go?" Tails wanted to know.

Sonic casually tossed the emerald into the air. "I hear Station Square's nice this time of year."

"You're not serious!" Knuckles turned on Sonic and saw the hedgehog was quite serious indeed. "What happened to keeping a low profile?"

"We're not going to cause a scene, just drop in, see what's up then come right back. Easy." Sonic explained.

"You do realize it's been practically a year on Mobius since we've last been here, right?" Knuckles said. "Who knows how long that's been _here_?"

"What's a quick peek gonna hurt?" Sonic lifted Tails to his feet, grabbing his arm in one hand and hooking Knuckles' in the other, grasping the emerald tightly. "There and back, no sweat."

A light flared inside the emerald, expanded until it engulfed both gem and trio, the room, then abruptly vanished leaving the room empty _and _clean of debri.

**Wowzers what a long chapter XD So much drama in 21 pages should be outlawed. Anywho I hope y'all enjoyed that and feel free to give your input via reviews ;) **

**P.S. Special thanks to Judasfm for some inspiration ;)**


	5. From Debt to Hosts

**NXT4eva: Now you see my point, no? XD Glad you sorry feelings spread throughout the cast (that's a werid thing to call them) and no I make your wish come true by giving you the next long chappie ;)**

**Shadowonground: Awe, you really think so? I love this chapter too and I can only wish it was an anime cause we'd make millions :D**

**Redrover65912: yes, it bombed and got trampled on by a heard of water buffalo then got nuked XD Just wait til you read this chappie ;)**

**Tenten628: Beach and Sonic never go together without chaos somewhere inbetween XD I'm sure Hikaru appreciates your concern :D **

**sotorohenge: Well wouldn't be the word I use but look at the bright side, now you can find out what happens! :)**

**Forsaken Avenger: No kidding, huh? XD At least The Host Club is nowhere near as annoying as Chris was and I actually like the club members...well most of them anyway ;) **

**TG101: Your review oozed happiness, thank you :D Hee hee I guess it did seem like they couldn't stand each other, much. I updated :P**

**kassehface: I liked that chappie more ;P And I like this one tooooooooo :D We get reviews cause people recognize our awesome. Dur :P Hee hee, flying dog. Then again we have a flying fox so hee hee x2**

**Darkspineshadow: Rollercoaster indeed, there was just about as much yelling as a material one wasn't there? Too many good things = awesome on paper plate :**

**Frogs4dindin: Lolz. I like your penname. frogs ftw. Outrageous you say? First time someone's said that...also the first person to cry (tear, whatever) at this story who admitted it ;)**

**Mr. Blank name person: Thank you XD**

**Lol: didn't it though? Gotta admit you expected as much though, right? can't put all these crazy people together without something like a chandalier falling on them...or getting pushed of buildings (cough, cough)**

**Butterflysfree: I love snapple 3 Keeping the people in character seems to be our strong point, according to everyone who said so :P And I'm pretty much Sonic always has a "la la whatever" attitude, that's what makes him so 'special' I think you might be surpised to see what The Host Club does ;)**

**SoBe-Yummies: Congradulations! You hold the trophy for the longest review submitted to this ffic 3 And with so many nice things to say about it too. I'm glad you love it (each and every chapter of it) and took the time to look deeper into it than either author did XD Hope you enjoy this chappie as well :D**

Come morning time the Host Club awoke finding that all traces of the chaos that had erupted last night had seemingly vanished, along with the ones who caused it. Search as they did the Host Club could find no trace of their fuzzy pals which lead to unneeded worry and more tension among the group then ever before in their short history. For the majority of that day neither Hikaru nor Haruhi were heard from much, both not quite ready to face each other or the others despite Tamaki's best efforts. Kaoru spent most of the day at his brother's side and avoiding the others, who could all tell something was wrong but weren't bothered enough to ask (not that he'd tell them either way).

In fact no one seemed too talkative that day, each keeping to themselves (except Tamaki, who had passed the whole day talking to Kyoya in a rambling fashion about how much trouble they'd be in if The Fuzzies were found and ratted them out).

"I just don't get it!" The King shouted towards the day's end. "Where could they have possibly gone?"

"Maybe they ran away because they were scared we'd be mad at them for last night..." Honey suggested, hugging his stuffed bunny from his curled position on the couch where he had been nearly all day. The lack of his foxy playmate had left him in a momentary, almost depression until he had his daily helping of cake.

Tamaki paused his pacing for a moment, in thought.

"You could be right, Honey-sempai..." Tamaki folded his arms in a dramatic thinking pose. "But, in a way, it _was_ their lack of self-control that unfolded last night's events...and the roof."

"Not necessarily." Kyoya stated from the other couch, lifting his eyes from his laptop to look at Tamaki, who had a puzzled look on his face. "You see, this building has long since been forgotten and therefore neglected by my family. In fact, the Host Club have been the only ones in this place for quite some time. My father has been speaking of selling it or simply tearing it down."

"So it wasn't their fault after all!" Honey sat up, suddenly excited. "That means they're not in trouble, right?"

"Unfortunately, no." Kyoya blunted, typing. "While it may not have been their fault, _per se_, they still managed to do a fair amount of damage that could have easily been avoided had they not acted so recklessly. If anything, you could say they owe my and my family a handsome sum of money for repairs..." An evil gleam flashed in Kyoya's eyes as he continued typing. "In other words, they're in _debt_."

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah. That'll show them," she muttered. "If we're all lucky they left for good."

"Don't say that!" Tamaki cried grasping Haruhi's face. "We were all beginning to be the best of friends!" He sobbed openly into his arm, and Haruhi sighed.

"I was just saying they're more trouble then they're worth." Her hand wandered to her forehead where a fresh bandage had been placed that morning. Kyoya had told her she wouldn't need stitches as long as she didn't hit her head again. Hikaru glanced her way for a fraction of a second, but Kaoru noticed anyways. He glared out the window remembering their conversation that morning.

"You could have died last night," he had explained as calmly as he could, but his voice cracked on the last few words.

Hikaru massaged his own neck and winced lightly. "But I didn't." He shrugged which made him cry out. Kaoru was at his side, his hands outstretched to his brother, but Hikaru shot them down. "Would you relax?"

The twin's heart sank, but only for a second. "Oh, like you don't act like a woman when I ever get hurt. Don't forget Karuiza-"

"Could you not?" Hikaru interrupted quietly, turning to the window. His brother puffed his chest and shouted, "If it wasn't for that red _mole_, you would've been _crushed_!"

Hikaru scoffed. "You sound like mom. Besides, if it wasn't for them, it wouldn't have happened at all." With that, he stood and got dressed gingerly.

Kaoru glowered. He didn't usually react this way about anything, but last night's incident was _too_close.

His brother sighed, rolling his shoulders. He didn't know what was going on. Last night was so bizarre, almost unreal. He didn't even remember jumping for Haruhi. He didn't know why his body acted nearly without his consent. But when he remembered the look on her face when the chandelier was plummeting, his whole self went cold.

And what was Kaoru's problem, anyways? It's not like he'd died ( he refused to grasp how close to it he really was). And if he hadn't acted, Haruhi would definitely not have been so lucky.

The sudden urge to punch something flared in Hikaru's chest. _She wouldn't have been so lucky_. He turned in her direction again, but looked away quickly.

_What's my deal? _he asked himself. _Nothing's changed_.

He sighed and closed his eyes.

"You okay?" his brother's voice was soft. Hikaru opened his eyes and saw \Kaoru wasn't even looking at him but out the window.

"Yeah. Just a little tried."

"You should rest." Kaoru turned to his twin and smiled, but Hikaru declined.

"I'm alright."

And that was all.

It was silent in the room again except for Tamaki's pacing. Even Honey was solemn, squeezing Usa-chan almost viciously. Haruhi smiled at the idea of the rabbit's eyes exploding out of its stuffed head.

"You look pleased, Haruhi."

The girl's imagination burst and her smile disappeared. "Wut?" She blinked and turned in the direction of the voice.

Kyoya smiled slightly. "You seem happy our new 'friends' are MIA."

"Why's everyone picking on _me_?" Haruhi scowled.

"You're the only one who wasn't very fond of them."

"Like you're mister social." The female crossed her arms. "I wouldn't say I miss them is all."

"Haruhi, how could you say that?" Tamaki exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. "They all may have their unpleasant, and scary, sides but I believe somewhere deep down they're all good people!"

"Well they sure weren't showing it," Haruhi mumbled. _But I would like to know exactly __how__they managed to get rid of all that debri without so much as a sound to wake us up_. she thought, finding it unusual and highly unlikely that the fuzzy trio would've been able to silently cooperate that long.

"Do you think they'll ever come back?" Honey asked sadly.

"Why, there's no doubt in my mind!" Tamaki breezed giving Honey a reassuring smile. "After all, they're all alone in this world. _Our _world. Who else could they possibly turn to besides our brilliant little host club? They will be back in no time, I guarantee it!"

Despite that little promise, it was almost a full week before there was any sign of the missing trio and by then Tamaki was having a breakdown while everyone else remained convinced they had left for good.

"Why haven't they come back yet?" Tamaki exclaimed, apparently to the ceiling several days later. No one paid him any mind, each of them spread throughout the room doing their own things and taking care not to notice The King's outburst. "It's almost been a full week and we haven't seen eye or tail of them!" A sudden grave look downed on Tamaki's face. "Oh no! What if they were_ abducted_?"

"Who in their right mind would want to kidnap a bunch like them?" Hikaru wondered in tones that said he sure wouldn't.

"Talk about biting off more than you can chew..." Haruhi stated flatly.

"What do you have against them?" Tamaki whirled on them. "Your attitudes better change once they return. I won't have your petty hate jeopardizing the work of out three newest hosts when they return!"

"_If _they come back." Kaoru muttered.

"Besides what happened to keeping those three a secret?" Haruhi questioned, wondering how this sliver of common sense managed to slip Tamaki's mind. "I'm almost sure our usual chatty guest will have a field day with our 'new' hosts."

Tamaki was about to answer this question when a strange noise filled the room. Something that sounded like a bee mixed with an electrical zapping of some sort that grew louder and louder still until stopping completely. The hosts looked at each other, or rather Tamaki looked at everyone while they all looked up. Had it been their imaginations, or had the ceiling just...glowed?

"Oh, perfect! _Now _where are we?"

And, had the ceiling just _talked_?

"We're _back_that's where. See? I toldja, third time's the charm." A new, familiar voice arose proudly.

"Take a look around, _Sonic_. You got it wrong, _again_. This is why you're forbidden to even think about instant transportation!"

It was then everyone of the hosts looked at each other with either shock or excitement (the latter outnumbered one-to-six). In a way that could only be described as 'down right creepy', Tamaki turned to his fellow club members with a grin that threatened to take in his ears and a jubilant gleam in his eyes. "They're ba-ack." He sang in a voice high with excitement.

"Actually, Sonic's right. We just ended up in the air ducts somehow..." Tails' voice corrected.

"So, ha!" Sonic laughed as Knuckles groaned. "Now apologize for saying I was wrong, Knucklehead."

Instead, there was the sound of heavy footsteps signaling the echidna had gone for the exit. He found it as well, it hadn't been more than ten feet away, and he effortlessly kicked off the metal cover and crawled out of the duct, dropping to the floor and into an unexpected, bone-crushing hug from Tamaki.

"I knew it!" The King exclaimed excitedly, crushing the echidna even more until it looked like his head would explode at any given moment. "I just knew you guys would come back! I had faith in you all along!"

For the third time that day, the Host Club members, currently not hugging a someone that was bound to kill them all once released, looked at each other in a mix of emotions.

"Well, it's nice to see _one_ of you is happy to see us," Sonic said from the duct's entrance though he sounded none to hurt or surprised.

"Tails!" Honey's exclamation managed to overshadow Tamaki's by a long shot as the little blonde raced over and hugged/ tackled the fox the second he hit the ground.

"This is perfect!" Tamaki yelled. "Now're all together again!" The King span around a few times before Knuckles finally had enough sense to break free from his grasp and was, luckily for Tamaki, to winded to seek revenge.

"Not that I care or anything, but where exactly did you three go?" Hikaru asked, trying not to sound as curious or as relieved as he really was.

"Just around..." Sonic replied slowly with a grin.

"Around?" Kyoya echoed, lifting his gaze from laptop to hedgehog. "Overseas is hardly what one would call 'around', Sonic."

"Overseas?" Honey repeated (Haruhi was seriously wondering if there was an echo in the room). "Why'd you go there?"

"Obviously you guys don't watch the news..." Knuckles rolled his eyes, still somewhat breathless.

"The news?" Tamaki cocked his head, looking at the large T.V. in the room.

With a heavy sigh, the echidna grabbed the slick black rectangle that served as the remote and clicked the _on_ button, bring the screen to life. Considering the club never watched the news, Knuckles had to flip through the channels a bit before the familiar news cast appeared, talking blandly.

"That's great Lisa. Hope you brought an umbrella to work, folks." His false laughter etched through the speakers and nearly everyone rolled their eyes.

"That's right, Greg." a flamboyant blonde chimed. "And in other news, our famous blue buddy came back after a long absence. You all remember Sonic the Hedgehog." said fuzzy's picture appeared on the screen, his face smug.

"Do we ever, Lisa." Greg's chuckle pierced everyone's brain, and Hikaru rubbed his head.

Lisa's smile looked menacing as she shot it toward her co-host. "Sonic and his slightly smaller gang appeared last week in Central Square, where everyone welcomed them back with open arms." A shot of a mob of blue haired people of all shapes and sizes started playing, and the chant of the hedgehog's name grew louder and louder with every syllable. Sonic grabbed the remote from the fuming echidna and shut the television off.

"That's enough of that." He chuckled awkwardly.

Knuckles rolled his eyes and sunk away, not saying a word.

"Well," the twins chimed. "Guess keeping you guys a secret for so long was pointless." They leaned into the hedgehog's face, their eyes glaring. "The fact you guys are famous would've been nice to know."

"'S not my fault you guys don't pay attention to _anything_," Sonic shot sourly. "Besides, we were only there to see a couple people. It's just hard to stay unseen by everyone, y'know?"

Knuckles scoffed. "Don't act like you don't love every minute of your fame." He stared out the window, his arms crossed tightly.

"What the _hell_ is your problem?" Sonic snapped.

"You know Sonic doesn't like the publicity," Tails added from under Honey, who had taken to laying on the fox like a pillow.

The red, spiky creature turned towards the group, and Tamaki flinched and scurried to Haruhi's side. "You really believe I'll swallow that _crap_?" He shot.

"You'd better 'cause it's the damn truth," Sonic snarled.

"Oh, please don't argue!" Tamaki wailed.

The bickering couple actually shut up, much to everyone's surprise, but they still stared at each other darkly until Knuckles turned away and headed for the door. "Whatever." And he left.

Sonic sighed and crossed his arms. "He's hopeless."

"Like you're any more tolerable," Haruhi muttered, and the twins laughed, thought, Kaoru's fell short.

"Well you can't please everyone," the hedgehog stated, flicking his nose with his thumb.

"Clearly," Kyoya added simply. "Just a whole city."

Sonic looked away. " I never meant for that to happen. You be a nice guy, save a few people, and you're like hero!" He flew his hands in the air and waved them mockingly.

"You saved everyone, 'member, Sonic?" Tails popped in, trying to be helpful. "That huge Chaos monster was destroying everything, but you stopped it!"

Sonic shook his head. "Like I said, just trying to be a nice guy."

"Oh, of course!" Tamaki exploded, and Haruhi nearly jumped. "You're _so_ nice!" The King bounded to the rodent and squeezed him tightly, flinging him on his feet. "That's why we're all the _best_ of friends, and you're staying with us!"

"Why does that sound fishy?" Sonic half-asked, half-croaked as he tried to squirm out of Tamaki's grasp.

"How is Sempai not getting his arms sliced off?" Haruhi wondered aloud. In spite of her seeming dislike for The Fuzzies she had been around them more than enough to know the damage their little spines, or quills or whatever they were, could cause.

"And we'll get to be even closer when you guys become hosts with us!" Honey said cheerily, feeling Tails twitch below him.

"Wait-" The fox began only to be cut off by his older brother's high-pitched outburst.

"What?" Struggling uselessly against Tamaki's all-powerful hug, Sonic would have greatly enjoyed continuing his outburst had The King not abruptly switched his grasp to his neck and hugged the rodent closer to his face.

"That's right!" Tamaki shouted, unable to contain his excitement any longer. "Starting the second we return to Ouran all of us will be one big, happy, hosting family!"

"You do, after all, owe me and my family for destroying a good portion of our vacation home," Kyoya pointed out.

"Can't you just take a check?" Sonic managed to worm his way out of Tamaki's hold and straighten out his fur.

"What? You mean you don't want to be a host?" Haruhi asked mockingly.

"Unfortunately the choice isn't your's to make," Kyoya continued blandly. "From what I understand from my research the last time you and your friends came to this planet you requested no pay for your actions."

"In other words: you're _broke_." Hikaru blunted.

Sonic and Tails looked at each other, amused. The twin's statement might be full truth when it came to this planet but their own was a different story by far.

"Alright, fine." Sonic shrugged carelessly. "I'll play along in you little game-"

"Me too!" Tails shot in.

"-But don't expect too much," the hedgehog continued casually. "Not from me or Knucklehead, considering he ever comes back and doesn't massacre The King over here." Sonic jabbed a thumb at Tamaki who suddenly paled at the thought.

"Then it's settled." Kyoya said with finality. "Your quota will be one thousand and five hundred guest. Each."

"Fair enough." Sonic and Tails agreed.

The deal was done.

It was decided the newly expanded club would return to school in a week. just a couple days before it started up again. Excited for the Host Club's future with the newly appointed celebrities, Tamaki began spewing new, more idiotic ideas for the club that seemed to get more and more ridiculous the more he rambled. That same afternoon and despite their clear relief at having The Fuzzies back, Hikaru and Kaoru took to distancing themselves from their third little prankster, not that it mattered because the hedgehog seemed to have something on his mind that was more important anyway and disappeared before night had even fallen.

On the opposite end of the distance meter, Honey and Tails continued where they had left off, almost as if the last week of their separation hadn't even happened or existed. Come nightfall, in fact _way_past nightfall into the early hours of morning where the sun would rise in just hours, Haruhi awoke from her slumber while the rest of the club members lay peacefully asleep.

Not knowing what it was that had made her suddenly restless, Haruhi figured a short walk would help settle nerves and hopefully the sound of the ocean would put her to sleep again.

It wasn't until she had stepped outside and onto the sand that Haruhi remembered the events of their last visit here and the dangerous strangers that somehow managed to get on the beach. Figuring she could at least _check_if anyone else was awake and wanted to walk with her (though she'd very much enjoy silence) Haruhi was all set to go back inside when she spotted an all-too-familiar blue figure atop one of the poles used to raise the volleyball net above the sand. Odd, he hadn't been there a second ago...

_Then again, what do you expect from a guy that can move faster than sound_? Haruhi thought with a mental shrug and, against all the power of her better judgment, walked over to the net.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" She asked when she arrived and was surprised when Sonic actually jumped at the sound of her voice, blinked a few times then turned to her.

"Is is past yours?" The hedgehog countered automatically. "What are you doing out here?"

"What are _you_doing out here?" Haruhi couldn't help it. She didn't know why all she ever felt like doing when she was around The Fuzzies was being sarcastic towards them, at least they _tried _to be friendly, when they weren't dropping ceiling on people.

"Meh. Nothing much. Just thinkin'." Sonic shrugged then noticed the look on Haruhi's face and asked, "why? Did you want something?"

"Well, since you asked..." Haruhi tried not to sound so desperate. "I was just about to take a walk for a bit, in case you wanted to come along or something."

Sonic's expression went puzzled.

"And you're asking _me_?" Sonic quirked an eye ridge.

"You _are_the only one out here." Haruhi said shortly. "If you don't want to then I'll just-"

"Who said I didn't?" Sonic cut in, jumping off the pole and neatly onto the sand in front of the female with his ever-so-cocky grin on his face. "I was just a little surprise _you_, of all people, asked since you hate me and all."

"I never said that!" Haruhi defended lamely and Sonic shrugged.

"You don't have to," he said simply "I'm used to people hating me so don't mind it too much, sweetheart."

Haruhi twitched. "What did you just-"

You heard me." Sonic cut in then took a few steps back. "We going, or what?"

Haruhi motioned for the hedgehog to go first, and the walking commenced. It was silent except for the waves crashing and their crunching footsteps in the sand. Haruhi felt the awkwardness ooze between them, but tried to ignore it and started at the ocean. Sonic decided to slice through the weirdness first.

"So...um. Sorry about y'know..."

"Dropping a ceiling on me and bailing?" The hedgehog could feel acid in her words, though the female had none intended.

"Well, yeah..." he glanced her way and noticed she wasn't even looking at him. "You're okay, right?" Haruhi's bandage on her head wasn't need, though there was the tiniest sliver the rodent could see in the moonlight, right where her hair parted in the wind.

Haruhi shrugged. "I'm alive."

"Thanks to Hikaru," a pause. "Oh. and Knuckles," he muttered.

For some reason that made Haruhi laugh, only for a couple seconds. Sonic's face was confused and on the verge of fear.

"I haven't heard that out of you," he pressed. "Probably ever."

The girl sighed out her last laugh. "You really expect me to believe that angry, spiky..._thing_ saved me? You guys caused all that chaos."

Sonic snorted at the last word, then his face grew serious. "So, you don't believe me?"

She shook her head. "I'm not that stupid. He doesn't even want to be here. It's obvious." She turned his way and was shocked to notice he wasn't right next to her. She turned around to find him a couple paces behind, his arms crossed.

"So you think he'd just leave you to die?" He scoffed. "He maybe an asshole, but he has _some_ class." He shook his head, then looked toward the water.

Haruhi sighed. "I guess I just didn't expect it."

"Oh, but it's so believable when it's Hikaru? He's such a selfish brat and you expect something from _him_?"

She hesitated. It was true what he said. She'd never expected anything from anyone. She was always a one-man show. "Well," she began. "He's my friend."

The last word fell between them like a rock, and Sonic had gotten what he needed. "You mean he _cares_?" The wind blew again, and the waves inched ever closer to their feet.

"I guess."

"You care too." It wasn't a question.

Haruhi faltered. "Like I said." She crossed her arms. "He's a friend." Her gaze flew to the ocean again, avoiding the hedgehog's piercing green eyes.

"Some friend," he shot. "You haven't even spoken ever since we got back. I bet it's been the same since we left." He crunched past her in the sand and kept walking without waiting.

Haruhi dropped her arms and watched him go. She was suddenly very tired, and she wanted to crawl into bed and stay there all day. Every time she spoke to this guy, it was like he knew something that should be obvious. He talked to her like she was stupid or blind.

_Maybe I __do__ hate you_, she thought at his back as he kept going. She sighed as she turned back to the beach house.

Sonic didn't want her to follow, so he didn't know why he was walking so slowly. His feet itched to go faster, but the rest of him refused. _Everyone here is, like...__Retarded__! _He shouted at himself. He looked to the sky and sighed. Earth was so tiring sometimes. Humans were nearly insufferable.

_So why do you stay_? His head mocked, and he laughed aloud when he remembered his 'debt' and the promise he made. He shook his head and turned to the dark mass that was the beach house.

He understood Knuckles' problem with humans, but at least he saw the good too. They were all really close, almost like a family like Tamaki kept saying. They were amusing, if anything, and Sonic smiled. Tails was enjoying himself.

The hedgehog turned back around and ran. He didn't know what for, but it always helped him clear his head. Just feeling the wind hit his face was enough to wake him up. He grinned as he sped up and ran around the island a few times. Being surrounded by so much water didn't bother him when he didn't think about it.

He skidded to a stop when the sun began to rise and took in the landscape, and he didn't leave that spot for hours.

Everyone at the house freaked out when Sonic was nowhere in sight.

"Who was the last one to see him?" Tamaki cried. "We just got him _back_!"

Haruhi hesitated, then spoke up. "We took a walk last night."

"Sonic doesn't walk," Tails butted in, hovering over her head.

"What did you say? You scared him away, didn't you?" Tamaki sobbed before her, nearly falling to his knees. "How many times does Daddy have to tell you to play nice?"

"I didn't _say_ anything!" She defended.

"Don't blame her," Knuckles grated from his usual spot by the window. "Sonic lives by no one's rules and could careless about the results of his actions as long as he gets his kicks."

The pure concentrated venom in the echidna's voice was enough to shock the room into silence for a few moments.

"As long as he shows up before we leave, there's nothing to worry about." Kyoya stated carelessly.

"But what if something _horrible_happened?" Tamaki freaked, fell to the floor and looked up at Haruhi teary-eyed. "Are you sure you don't know where he went? You went for a walk along the beach, right?"

"_Oh_, I get it." Kaoru raised an eyebrow. " You walk along the shore, late at night, no witnesses, and _push_. Bye-bye hedgehog."

Everyone, mainly Tamaki and except Knuckles, turned terrified looks to Haruhi. They were all well aware she had a dislike for the hedgehog but surely not enough to...

"Quit looking at me like that!" The female snapped. "I didn't kill anyone!"

"If you didn't then who did?" Tamaki wailed and Haruhi was just about to point out that no one said the hedgehog was dead for real when a sudden bark alerted everyone to the recent arrival of The King's yellow-like dog, who came strolling in through the kitchen with as much stuck up richness as her owner.

Tails yelped and darted behind Knuckles, who rolled his eyes but noticeably tensed.

"Where does that dog keep coming from?" Haruhi sweat dropped and watched as said canine ran to Tamaki's outstretched arms and tried to lick his face.

"I was wondering where you ran off to, girl." Tamaki laughed delightedly as the dog's tongue brushed against his face. Then, as if someone had just pressed some mystical button, his face went from 'la-la happy' to 'dead glum' in an instant.

"Great, now what?" Hikaru rolled his eyes, already knowing what was coming.

"I think she _ate_our little blue friend." Tamaki whispered with a look of woe on his face.

Knuckles snorted. "Please, even I can tell your mutt has more sense then that."

"There are _dead_things lying out there that are probably healthier than Sonic..." Kaoru agreed flatly.

"Jeez, what do you guys say about me when I'm _not_ in the room?" At the sound of the hedgehog's voice, everyone turned to see him standing right behind them.

"You're alive!" Before Sonic had time to react, Tamaki had rushed over and pulled the rodent into one of his trademark, and loathed, hugs. "I really thought we'd lost you for good!"

"We could only be so lucky..." Haruhi sighed the froze when she made eye contact with Sonic until Tamaki started spinning around with the hedgehog in tow.

"Alright, enough of that." Sonic broke Tamaki's hold and attempted to return some air to his lungs as The King pulled a thoughtful look.

"Where did you disappear to this time?" Tamaki wondered.

"_Around_-" The hedgehog looked at Kyoya. "-For _real _this time. It's not like I can leave anyway so quit freaking out every time I'm outta sight. okay?"

"I think Sempai would feel better if we had someway of contacting you." Haruhi suggested without making eye contact with Sonic. "Or at least knowing you were _around_."

"I don't see what the big deal is..." Hikaru muttered. It wasn't like Sonic was just going to _leave _and _not_ come back, especially after making his promise to settle the debt. He maybe a lot of things but somehow a shirker just didn't seem to fit.

"After all, you can't expect to keep a guy like him tied up for long," Kaoru added. "That'd be just as impossible as getting the mole over here to show an act of kindness or love."

A sudden drop in temperature told the twin this wasn't the wisest thing to say.

"Except for the fact that if it weren't for him, Haruhi and Hikaru could've been killed, right?" Tails asked, utterly puzzled by Kaoru's remark. Sure, Knuckles wasn't the most open, honest, fun or loving guy out there but he hadn't killed anyone yet, so wasn't _that_ at least something to consider?

"He wouldn't of had to save them if the three of you hadn't caused a scene." Kaoru said boredly then looked away from the group. _He wouldn't have gotten hurt if it hadn't been for __them__..._He thought.

"There's no point in living in the past," Sonic said, mostly to break the silent tension that had filled the room.

"So do you promise not to run away again?" Tamaki asked hopefully.

"No. But I do enjoy your sense of humour." Sonic answered honestly and with as straight a face as he could manage, then shrugged. "And if you really want to make sure I stay around I have a suggestion."

"A leash?" Haruhi quipped, not entirely to herself.

"Preferably short?" Kyoya stated more out of common sense than humour.

"No." Sonic narrowed his eyes heatedly. "With this."

The hedgehog withdrew a large gemstone that would have almost been a normal sight for the humans of the Host Club had it not been for it's slightly larger size and the fact there seemed to be a bright light flaring inside it.

"Whoa!" Honey's eyes threatened to overtake his whole face as he gazed at the blue gem, awed. "What is it?"

"A chaos emerald." All three Fuzzies replied in unintentional chorus.

"_Chaos_?" Haruhi echoed skeptically. "What is it with your world and disarray?"

"No clue." Sonic shrugged. He had wondered the same thing for years and had always wanted to know who had first named the emeralds but wasn't too bother to look. "But at least this way His Royalty can _relax_."

"What's it do?" Honey asked, not moving his eyes and near panicked when the hedgehog handed it to him.

"Tons of stuff." Tails replied vaguely. "It's too much too go into detail now but each emerald has a special power and react to each other in a different way."

"When close to each other the light in them glows brighter, if you get my drift." Sonic finished.

"Wonderful!" Tamaki squealed as he gazed at the gemstone. "It's like a lil' hedgie detector! And in such a beautiful image!"

"_Sonic_." Knuckles hissed for reasons all-but-unknown to the hedgehog.

"Hey, _I_ trust them." Sonic whispered in an aside. "We'll talk about this _later_, Knucklehead."

To Sonic's surprise, the echidna dropped the subject with a grunt and turned back to the window.

"I just got a terrific idea!" Tamaki clapped his hand together to gather everyone's attention before continuing. "Since we have limited time remaining together and alone I think we should take this chance to head out to the city and do a little shopping in a last attempt to become more like a family!"

Everyone groaned (well, minus Kyoya) and rolled their eyes.

"Just give it up already!" Knuckles shook his head.

"Face it, boss, we hate each other." The twins shrugged.

"Not true!" Tamaki rejected. "You all _love_ each other! You're just too proud to admit it!"

"Oh yeah, _proud_. That's the word..." Haruhi sighed, already it was shaping up to be one of those days.

"That's it! That will be today's goal!" Tamaki exclaimed suddenly. "We will express our love for one another by the end of today!"

Without waiting for rebuttals, Tamaki gathered everyone of the Host Club members up, new and old, and forced them through the door, onto the beach, aboard some ferry-type thing and off to the city were they would be forced to spend the day in the largest mall they could find which even had an all-day special on the roof that day.

"Can we take a break?" Honey leaned against a nearby wall, several hours later, with a tired sigh.

"But we haven't even reached the roof!" Tamaki pointed out excitedly. "And that's the best part! C'mon!"

Grabbing the little blonde, Tamaki rushed to the stairs leading to the roof, leaving the others in the dust.

"Someone want to explain how _we_ended up carrying all this crap?" Hikaru asked acidly, gesturing to the hundred and one bags divided among the remaining members.

"That's Tamaki for you," Kyoya said. "Let's continue, everyone."

And they did, albeit reluctantly, and were secretly amazed by the assortment of items laid out on the roof.

"We're so high up!" Tails awed, looking over the midget-like fence that was apparently supposed to ward people from the edge and their would-be deaths.

"Is this even safe?" Haruhi eyed the edge warily as she put her half of the bags on the ground and walked over. "Did they even consider the fact someone might _fall_?"

"I don't think they consider anyone to be _that_ stupid." Knuckles grated. "Then again, who knows when it comes to humans?"

"What is _that_supposed to mean?" Kaoru turned to the echidna hotly.

"I think you know." Knuckles said shortly. Kaoru's earlier comment was all-but-forgotten by the echidna, who wasn't about to let it go without some price to be paid.

"I'm sensing tension here," Sonic eyed the echidna pointingly.

"Kaoru..." Hikaru looked at his brother warningly. "I don't know what your deal's been lately but it's really starting to get on my nerves. If something's bothering you just _say_it." Hikaru demanded and getting an incredulous look from his twin.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kaoru gave a short laugh and pointed to the problem in question. "Those damn _animals_ are changing everything!"

"Kaoru!" Haruhi snapped, hoping to snap the reasonable twin out of his sudden rage but feeling that he was somehow right.

"Don't defend them, Haruhi. You're the one who can't stand them the most out of us all!" Kaoru shot with far more truth than he realized. "Ever since they got here all they've done is cause trouble and almost killed us! When are you guys going to realize _we _don't matter to _them_? They could care less what happens to us!"

"That's not true and you know it," Sonic said in dangerously level tones. "And _we're_ not the only things bothering you, are we?"

"You're afraid of change in general." Knuckles followed up in the same air. "You don't want anything or anyone to change the way things are now because you're afraid you won't be able to coup, right?"

Kaoru blinked. They had hit the nail on the head just then. He didn't think it had been that obvious all this time but those two had managed to find his one fear so easily...

"Kaoru..." Hikaru repeated in far less angry tones and reached over to put a hand on his brother's shoulder but as to what happened next no one was really quite sure. It happened too fast.

All that was known for sure was that at that second, Kaoru had lurched to avoid his twin's touch and had taken a step back to further avoid it when his foot caught onto one of the bags Haruhi had placed near the midget-like fence. Caught off-balance the twin stumbled backwards and before anyone had even blinked, disappeared from the rooftop.

There was total pandemonium as everyone hurried to the edge. Hikaru cried his brother's name, nearly falling off the roof himself as he reached hopelessly for his twin.

"Oh, hot damn," Sonic muttered.

"_Shut up_!" Hikaru erupted. "Just shut up!" he turned an accusing finger to the hedgehog's face. "He's right. About you, about _everything_!" He shook slightly, but Sonic seemed unbothered by this outburst.

Haruhi looked to Tamaki, wishing for some intervention, but none came. The King's face was blank, his eyes not really seeing anything even though he was facing where Kaoru fell.

"Everything that's happened to us," Hikaru continued, "is all. Your. Fault." With every word. he jabbed Sonic in the chest with his finger, by the rodent stayed indifferent. He even seemed bored.

Haruhi seemed on the edge of cracking, seeing Sonic's bored face. He grabbed the hedgehog by the neck, lifting him enough that his toes barely reached the floor. "You bastards," he muttered quietly.

"I believe that's enough," Kyoya stated, appearing next to the drama.

"_What_?" Hikaru nearly growled. "Have you _lost. Your. Mind_?" Tears appeared in the twin's eyes, but refused to spill over.

As response, Kyoya pointed (with his pen) behind him. Everyone turned and saw Tails massaging his namesakes and Kaoru sprawled on the floor next to him. Hikaru quickly let go of Sonic, dropping him unceremoniously on his rump, and rushed to his brother's side. Sonic dusted himself off impatiently and zipped to Tails who was whining lightly.

"You okay, bud?" he asked his little brother.

"Yeah," he whimpered. "He's just a lot heavier than Honey."

Sonic breathed a laugh and reached out for the fox's other tail. The little kit sighed audibly as the muscles relaxed. "You did good, little bro." the fox's face visibly lit up as he smiled widely, and Sonic smiled back.

Hikaru was sobbing on his brother's chest, his brother still out like a light.

"He'll be fine," Kyoya said calmly. "He just got scared."

Honey tackled Tails, wailing. "Thank you, Tails! Thank you, thank you, thankyouuu!"

"Yeah." Mori grunted, patting the fox's fuzzy head.

Haruhi wiped a couple tears from her face. She wanted to comfort Hikaru, but she knew he wouldn't want anyone to bother them. She kept her distance, standing next to Tamaki who still hadn't said or done much of anything.

When Kaoru finally came to, Hikaru smothered him, still crying but much less loudly. Once everyone was calm enough (even if not toward each other) they decided to leave without seeing anything else in the mall. They grabbed their share of bags and took the ferry back to the beach house where packing commenced. School break didn't end for another couple of days, but the want to leave radiating from everyone was clear.

The limo packed in less than an hour, and they were off. It was silent among everyone, and no one dared to break it. The twins seemed to put up a wall around themselves, ignoring everyone else and everything. Honey clung onto Tails the whole way, and Sonic and Knuckles stayed on opposite sides of the car.

The tension was nearly suffocating, and Haruhi couldn't help but feel that this trip had made everything worse. She sighed as she stared out the window, wondering if anything would ever be close to 'normal' again.

"You alright, Haruhi?" Tamaki asked. He spoke like he was scared his voice would shatter the windows.

The female nodded, but said nothing. It was quiet again until Tamaki whispered, "you don't hate me, do you, Haruhi?: His voice sounded so hurt, she couldn't help but look up. He was gazing out the window, his voice serious.

"Of course not, sempai." She paused. "Why?"

The King closed his eyes and he shook his head. "This didn't work the way it was supposed to..." He sighed. "I thought I could make everyone at least civil. I failed you all. It would make sense for you to hate me. Everyone else does."

Haruhi glanced at everyone in particular. Honey couldn't hate Tamaki even if he tried. Mori was so indifferent and independent ( except for his relationship with Honey) that it didn't matter. Kyoya, well. He wasn't very fond of anyone. And he and the twins never got along. Nothing seemed different.

But everything was changed.

"We don't hate you, sempai," Haruhi stated matter-of-factly.

She heard one of the twins scoff and turned their way. "You have something to say?" She glared at them.

They both looked up simultaneously. "Well, yeah." They chimed.

"It's pretty weak of you guys to keep these creatures a secret at first," Hikaru blunted.

"And then force us all together these past couple of weeks." They looked back at their handheld.

"And wondering why we don't get along _magically_." The sarcasm dripping from the last word seeped through the air, and Tamaki's head drooped slightly.

Haruhi picked up a glass from the mini bar (no alcohol, of course) and threw it at them. "At least Tamaki-sempai _tried_!" She erupted. "Which is more then I can say for _you_!" She shot a finger in their direction and continued. "You pick a favourite and ignore the rest. And when something, _anything_, happens, you drop them like a hot coal!"

The duo's faces were riddled with confusion as they looked from Haruhi to the broken glass round them.

"I thought you weren't fond of our new members, Haruhi," Kyoya interjected.

She nearly burst. "I never said I _hated_ them! I just don't know why they hung around, and it would be silly to make friends if they're just gonna leave soon." She blinked at the realization of how true those words were.

"Sure," Sonic nearly laughed. Knuckles didn't even show he was listening to anything. Honey and Tails sat wide-eyed as the argument continued.

"You're insufferable," Haruhi snapped and Sonic shot her a look.

"You're definitely no better," he rebutted. "At least _I_ have a sense of humor. Or _eyes_." As emphasis, he pointed at both of his with his hands.

"Sonic," Hikaru hissed.

"Oh, please." The hedgehog unbuckled and zipped to Haruhi. "In case you haven't _noticed_ or are just completely _oblivious_, these guys all adore you." He shrugged his shoulder and put his hands out to face her. "Why, I've no idea, but none of them want to say anything, so _someone_ had to!"

Haruhi blinked and looked at everyone. Tamaki interrupted before anyone had a chance to say anything.

"What you're saying is completely absurd!" he announced. "Haruhi's our little princess! Of course we'd dote on her!" He patted her head in his fatherly matter, and the awkwardness seemed to fade a little.

Sonic rolled his eyes and tapped his foot. "Whatever. Believe what you want."

Thankfully, they arrived at their destination at that moment. The limo jarred to a stop, and the hedgehog jumped out, zooming out of sight.

"Sonic!" Tails called after him, but he made no real effort to leave the vehicle. Knuckles left silently, as usual, after Kyoya asked him to tell Sonic to be at school the following Monday. The echidna didn't acknowledge him with a response, but everyone knew he couldn't pass up being bossy to Sonic.

No one said goodbye, except Honey to everyone, and they all went their separate ways.

Haruhi sighed when she got in the limo Tamaki offered. She needed some time to herself after so much time with all those lunatics, and she tried to fall asleep as the car brought her home. She couldn't help but think about everything that was going on. The twins were being so angry lately and Tamaki was being extra dramatic.

When she got home, she made some rice then slept the weekend away.

Monday came too soon. Haruhi yawned through the morning until the club meeting started. She almost didn't expect to se anyone, but hey were all there, albeit unhappily.

"Hello, Haruhi!" Tamaki shouted. No one else seemed so excited, though Honey and Tails were giggling over cake in the corner. The twins had been in class, but neither of them had said anything to her all day. Everyone was concerned.

Haruhi waved at everyone half-heartedly and turned to Sonic. "Look," she started. " I think we got off on the wrong foot. And though you're blue and abnormally large for a hedgehog-"

"Oy." Said creature rose a hand. "It's cool." He smiled and winked at her.

She sighed, glad to get that off her chest, then turned to the twins. "Same goes for you guys."

The two looked at each other then smiled, shrugging their shoulders. "We don't even know what you're talking about!" And they patted her head.

"I'm sorry, though." Kaoru said softly.

"Me too," Hikaru muttered.

"_Good_! You guys have been, let's say, _insufferable_." Sonic winked up at Haruhi again, and she smiled.

Kaoru didn't say anything, but his brother gave the hedgehog a noogie.

"_Wonderful_!" Tamaki bounded to the group and wrapped his arms around everyone he could reach. "We'll be able to start today positively!" He tried his best to spin the twins and Sonic (Haruhi had narrowly escaped), but they all toppled over instead.

"You forget we're introducing our new members today?" Kyoya said almost blandly and Tamaki's blonde head shot up from the pile.

"Oh, yeah!" His worried face appeared.

"I'm sure the ladies will love them!" Honey announced from above, clinging to Tails who was hovering over everyone's heads.

"What're we doing, exactly?" Knuckles asked from the window.

"You mean you don't remember?" Tamaki whined.

"Last time I remember being here for a meeting we were in a _closet_," the echidna snapped.

"Wasn't very pleasant." Sonic rubbed his head as he recalled the chaos that occurred.

Nearly everyone laughed. Kaoru just smiled, remembering the day to be a bit less enjoyable then everyone else made it seem.

The group kept chattering excitedly about everything that came to mind until there was a knock on the door, and it was realized that the Host Club was about to be open for business.

"This is it!" Tamaki gasped, straighten up and turned to the new host. "Are you ready?"

"As we'll ever be." Both Sonic and Knuckles replied then looked at each other.

"Just remember to treat every guest as a fragile butterfly that holds the key to your eternal happiness and you'll do fine!" Tamaki instructed as he ran to the door.

"This is going to be a _long_ day..." Knuckles sighed. While he would usually just say that and take it upon himself to just leave and save everyone a couple thousand dollars in repairs as a result of his irritation, this time was different. He had a debt to pay off and his honor wouldn't let him leave, no matter how demeaning a task 'hosting' was.

"Alright!" Tamaki grasped the door handles and put on his trademark host smile. "Let us begin!" And he opened the doors.

All at once the shrills and dreamy sighs from half the guests erupted as the room suddenly filled with half a hundred guests either staying near Tamaki or making their way to their favourite host.

In a way, Haruhi would later realize, it was almost funny when the first girl noticed the non-too-subtle Fuzzies just sitting on the couch. She just sort of froze, mid-sentence to Haruhi, and her eyes bugged out like she'd just seen a ghost and just stared at the techni-coloured aliens. Like a domino effect her reaction spread throughout the room until there was complete silence, all eyes focused on The Fuzzies.

Fearing a sudden freak, Tamaki ran out into the center of the circle that had formed around the new hosts. "Now, now," he said calmly. "There's nothing to be afraid of ladies."

"Tamaki..." One girl breathed, awed. "Is that...?"

"It couldn't be!" Another girl shook her head. ""Why would _he_ be here, in Japan?"

"Well, why not?" Yet another guest asked and it didn't take long for a clamour to break out among the guests concerning the newest hosts.

This noise continued for a few more moments before a shrill whistle filled the room, shattering the females' noise and knocking the room into silence.

"Could you _not_ do that when I'm right next to you?" Knuckles shot a glare at Sonic, still with two fingers in his mouth on top of the couch.

"Sorry." Sonic shrugged carelessly then turned to the crowd of wide-eyed females. "Is this how you girls act around celebrities? And here I thought rich people were supposed to be sophisticated."

All the guests looked at each other, suddenly excited as they realized just _who_ had spoken to them. Excited chatter broke again and the girls started saying things along the lines of "Then it's true!", "How did they get here?", or "Go talk to them!"

Seeing there would no longer be a freak from the guests, Tamaki relaxed and cleared his throat. "Ladies!" He announced. "I proudly introduce to you our newest members of the Host Club, brought to us by a lucky turn of events! Their goal is to entertain you as proper hosts to this school."

With that the girls cheered and it only took a nano second before The Fuzzies found themselves gobbled up by the crowd. It took every inch of self-control Sonic and Knuckles owned to not run away (Sonic by habit, Knuckles by dislike) and allow the girls to bombard them with questions.

"Are you _really _the same Sonic from the TV?" One asked, somewhat nervously.

"You know another Sonic?" Said hedgehog raised an eye ridge. "If you do, someone owns me trademark payment."

The girls around him looked at each other before squealing with delight.

"Are you really as fast as they say?"

"How did you get here?"

"What made you want to be a host?"

One-by-one questions flew at the hedgehog, who was already feeling a little more than irritated and a creeping claustrophobia but remained still and did his best to answer the questions at hand.

Knuckles on the other hand, stuck true to the 'silent and unmovable' image and added a piercing glare to the mix for good measure. The result being the group of girls finding him more suited than the hedgehog (a more notably smaller group) keeping their distance. One brave soul spoke up.

"So, um..." The girl lowered her eyes and blushed as she fiddled with a strand of her blonde hair. "Are you and your friends staying long?"

Knuckles, who had visibly twitched at the word _friends_, just grunted and turned back towards the window. Just because he had agreed/ be forced to be a host didn't mean he was going to play the nice guy role. A second later he wondered if it mattered when he heard the girls giggle explosively and sighed.

Unlike his two companions, Tails seemed to have a knack at not noticing just how annoying the people around him could be (one could say he had plenty practice). With his plushie-like appearance and naive personality the cub was probably the most fitted for this task and it definitely showed.

"Well, I'm impressed..." Haruhi admitted from where her own group of guests had noticeably shrunk. "Who'd thought they _actually_ had it in them?"

"Don't forget, their popularity in America is also reason for their popularity here," Kyoya reminded, not looking up from his notebook.

"Yeah...I guess that's a point." Haruhi figured and when Kyoya said nothing more, went back to her own guests.

And that was the last anyone saw of her for the rest of the day. In fact, even when all guests had left for the night leaving only the Host Club members, human and Fuzzie alike, there was still no sign of her. Tamaki was near a breaking point when Tails added the fact that Sonic was nowhere to be found either.

"Why does this keep happening?" Tamaki cried, falling to the floor in woe. "I'm starting to think my little angel and hedgie don't enjoy being around us!"

"Imagine that..." Knuckles muttered.

"Still, why didn't they tell us they were leaving?" Honey wondered looking at Tails, the fox shrugged but turned to sniff the air.

"Do you guys smell flowers?" The cub asked, puzzled. There was no flowers even in the room and none of the guest had brought any that day.

No one did, (then again considering the circumstances Tails was bound to smell more then anyone else) and that fox tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Kinda...Smells like...Lilies." Tails continued thoughtfully.

There was a shocked silence among the Host Club, broken by Tamaki's gasp.

"Wait..." He began wide-eyed and panicked. "You don't think Haruhi and Sonic were taken by..._them_? Do you?"

"Who?" Tails asked.

The Host Club members filled the next word with as much sarcasm and acid as six people could possibly manage (which was alot): "_Lobelia_."

**DUN DUN DUN. Bet 'cha can't guess who will be starring in the next chapter ;) All I'll say is get ready for more of the wackiness that comes with this story, same place but not necessarily the same time :D**


	6. Lobelia Girls' Academy

**Lol: Hey, we try ;) Yes that chapter was full of falls and new hieghts, wasn't it? Well Haruhi has to be god at SOMETHING XD**

**Butterflysfree: I didn't realize XD Haruhi's little outburst was funny yet painfully true but some good came of it at least J**

**Forsaken Avenger: Isn't Kaoru always a fail? XD jk Roofs are murderous things o.o**

**Sotorohenge: Lobelia here for giggles, just like the real deal :D Witty lines? We do try ;)**

**SoBe-Yummies: Shopping only evil if you have to pay and aren't rich D: Yay! Angry tension! There's TONS of that in this story, isn't there? XD**

**Tenten628: Naw, the twins' are danger magnets ;) Are you trying to say Knux is violent or something? D: You'll have more giggles in this chappie, promise.**

**Frogs4dindin: Thank you random reader :D Much appreciated**

**NXT4eva: Well since Haruhi's pretty hum-drum I think we'd better keep 'em civil-ish ;)**

**Kooaid rage: When it comes to causing pain to two certain brothers, that's just me who likes it ;) But don't tell anyone :X**

**Redrover65912: Must be pretty good then since these last two chappies were long XD Hmmm…Matchmaker? Maaaaybeeee :P**

**Shadowonground: Did you think it wasn't going to come? XD They have to like each other SOMETIME :P Um…Rich people's dogs can transport and own every channel known to man and 3 known to worms XD**

**9anon: How could you ever get off Ouran or Sonic? :P And I'm glad you like it**

**Lapras4us: DON'T CRY! Here's the next chappie XD**

**Loopsogood: Man, I WISH I was a Sonic creator that'd be epic fun :D Instead I'm just paired up with an obsessive Ouran fan and making a story people seem to love XD**

**OuranHost00: In one day? XD I love the last two chapters and I'm sure you'll love this one ;)**

**The One Called ME: Here's more ;)**

**The Crow: I updated :D**

**And then some: Hello fellow Gaia person! SPREAD THE WORD XD**

The Host Club (minus Haruhi, who seemed to be missing in action along with a certain blue hedgehog) all stood around Knuckles and Tails, the terror and disgust plain on their faces as the word "Lobelia" echoed around them. After a few seconds of silence, and lack of explanation, the echidna spoke up, rather annoyed.

"Are we supposed to know what that means?" Knuckles quirked an eye ridge in their direction and crossed his arms.

"It's a school," Hikaru began.

"For girls," Kaoru finished.

The two remaining Fuzzies looked at each other, puzzled, then back at the rest of the hosts, shrugging their shoulders. "Aren't all schools the same?" Tails questioned blandly.

"Not exactly," Kyoya answered. "Usually schools are co-ed, or rather, they accept both male and female students."

"But Lobelia is different." Tamaki's voice was serious, and Tails' ears flattened, not used to the sound. "They only accept girls, and what's worse! There's romance among them!" The King cried openly into his sleeve, waving a dramatic arm through the group. "What a waste it is! Such abnormality! Such-"

"Anyways," the twins interceded, "there's a club from that school that keeps trying to take Haruhi away from us, even though she's openly rejected more than once. It's getting pretty annoying, actually."

"_The Zuka Club_." Tamaki's voice was full of acid, but instead of the terrified reaction he expected, Tails giggled. Seeing the error of his ways- and the shocked expression that washed over The King- he covered his mouth quickly and looked to his shoes.

"What a stupid name," Knuckles blurted. "Sounds like a fungus you'd get between your toes." And for emphasis, he raised a shoe and pointed at it.

The twins chuckled from behind the fuzzy duo, but quickly shut up when the red echidna shot them a glare. They shrugged and chimed, "If only we were so lucky that Haruhi's recurring annoyance was a foot fungus." And they snorted in unison as Knuckles rolled his eyes.

"Well, that clears up where Haruhi went," Honey sighed, clinging to Mori's shoulders. "Even though it's not very good news."

"And we're still a little lost over how they got here, took Haruhi and left without us even noticing," the twins questioned as they shrugged at each other.

"So then, where'd Sonic go?" Tails' voice was soft as he clung to his namesakes and plopped on the floor.

"I'll bet he chased after those kidnappers in an attempt to rescue our poor Haruhi like the hero he is!" The King shot a fist in the air, his eyes shining. As most of the group started cracking at his claim, a hedgehog sneezed a few miles away.

Sonic rubbed his nose absently as he glared at the girl in the seat in front of him. She had the kind of hair style and voice you'd expect to see on a guy, but her clothing said otherwise. The other two girls that sat on either side of Haruhi and the rodent were both rather girly, and Sonic's nose kept being bothered by their flowery scent.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, you strange creature," the girl across from them chided.

"What's your deal, kidnapping us like this?" Sonic snapped.

"You get used to it," Haruhi muttered, leaning over and placing her face in her palm, clearly bored.

"I sure as hell won't." Sonic shot out of his seat and zipped to the girl across from them. "I have half a mind to open the door and throw you out this car." She didn't flinch, but the two others erupted outraged screams.

"How dare you speak to Benibara that way?" the one with the longer hair snapped, but the supposed leader raised her hand.

"Oh, you silly little animal," she mused, patting Sonic's head. "You don't know who you're talking to, obviously." When Sonic just rolled his eyes, she continued, waving her arms dramatically in the limited space. "St. Lobelia Academy, second year student Benio Amakusa."

All three of the girls raised their arms and sang, "Lobelia!"

Sonic flinched and shot them all hard looks. "Seriously?" he nearly shouted, but Haruhi just shrugged.

"Second year student, Chizuru Maihara!" the girl with long hair sitting next to Haruhi announced, bowing dramatically in her seat and swaying her arms.

"Lobelia!" the trio sang again, and the hedgehog shielded his ears.

"Would you _stop_?" he erupted.

The girl sitting in the seat next to where the hedgehog previously sat continued on without acknowledging he said anything at all. "First year student, Hinako Tsuwabuki!"

Sonic's ears flattened, awaiting another chorus, but Benio spoke instead. "We are the members of St. Lobelia Academy White Lily League, also known as..."

"The Zuka Club!" all three girls announced proudly, raising their arms in the air, facing their two guests.

Sonic glanced at each of them in turn, waiting for more dramatics, but none came. Instead, the group stayed in place, their smiles plastered to their faces. The hedgehog blinked and shot a thumb at the girl behind him, Benio, giving Haruhi a look of complete disbelief. "These guys are serious?" Her response was nothing but a nod.

The rodent looked at each of the Zuka Club members in turne and blinked quickly. Then he burst into laughter. "_Zuka_? What's that supposed to be, some kinda foot fungus?" He grasped his sides and laughed openly as Benio lowered and crossed her arms.

"We wouldn't expect you to respect that any more than the other Host Club members," she mused closing her eyes. Sonic kept laughing, sitting on the floor of the limo.

"Benibara, maybe this was a mistake?" Chizuru asked, pointing at the laughing lump near their feet. "He's, well, a _male_." She hissed the last word like it hurt her to say it which made Sonic stop laughing abruptly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped.

"You know our plan, Chizuru," Benio replied to her fellow club member, ignoring the hedgehog. "It'll all work out pleasantly in the end." Benio smiled and looked out the window. "Our next performance will be the most successful yet."

"Of course, Benibara," both girls said, smiling.

"Well, you guys clearly are something else," Sonic stated. "So, you're taking us to your school? For what?"

"Probably to make us perform in some play they're doing." Haruhi sighed.

"You sound like you speak from experience," he replied.

"She's a natural," Benio announced, and the other girls nodded. "This beautiful maiden on the stage is the most magnificent thing I've ever witnessed." She reached for Haruhi's face and grasped it gently.

Sonic looked from Benio to Haruhi and snorted. "You sound like you're in love with her." The Zuka club leader sighed and grabbed Haruhi's hand and kissed it lightly. The hedgehog froze. "You're _kidding_ me." _Everyone here is so weird_, he thought, facing the window so as not to show how awkward he really felt.

At that moment, the car came to a halt, and everyone got out to face a large building. Haruhi and Sonic followed the trio through the grounds and into a large room that only had chairs lining the walls and a large window facing the courtyard. "This is where we'll be practicing," Benio announced, waving her arms and twirling through the room.

"We? Practicing what?" Sonic asked, only slightly curious.

The Zuka Club turned to their guests and took their own dramatic poses. "Well, it is pretty clear how popular you are ever since your 'heroic' ordeal overseas, blue one," Benio began.

"And art has a nice way of making anything beautiful," Chizuru continued.

"Even the most brutal forms of testosterone taking form," Hinako said plainly, the acid clearly dripping from her words.

"So, naturally, there'd be written a wonderful musical about your feat!" Benio announced, raising her arms in the air. "And after we heard of you being so close, we just had to make sure you were in it. You'd be the star of the show, you'd have the most dramatic scenes at your feet, and of course the whole play would depend on you." Her eyes glinted as she turned to the hedgehog, but he didn't react exactly the way they expected.

"No way." He raised a hand up to them and looked away.

The Zuka Club froze and gazed at the hedgehog. "This is a very serious matter, hedgehog," Benio sneered.

"And I said no." Sonic turned to Haruhi. "Let's go."

"Oh, no you don't!" The trio pursued them, grabbing their arms. "We need you two!"

"Our old star got into a terrible accident yesterday, and we need someone who knows what they're doing!" Hinako cried.

"Odd how that always happens," Haruhi muttered, remembering the last time they'd dragged her into this madness and that same problem was what kept her from leaving.

"And who else, but the star himself?" Chizuru pleaded. "Please, this is a once in a lifetime chance!"

Sonic snorted. "You mean, until you perform it again? Why don't you just do another play? I'm sure you guys have plenty."

"Everyone's expecting _this_ play, though! It'll be it's debut! Ever since your reappearance in America, everyone's been dying to see it! You can't expect to disappoint your fans?" Benio fell to her knees. "Your fans are your reason to move on, and if you lose your favor, what's there to live for?" Her eyes filled with tears as she shook her head. "What an empty life you'd lead."

"And you should be honored," Hinako mused. "You'd be the first male to perform in our school."

"We're that desperate," Chizuru said. "So, please."

The club members kneeled before the hedgehog, sobbing loudly. Sonic rolled his eyes. "Oh, boy," he whispered. They continued wailing until out loud he said, "Fine! Okay, _fine_! I'll do it! Just _stop_!"

The din ended abruptly, and the girls straightened up quickly. "Thank you so much, little hedgehog," Benio said smoothly, patting his head again. His irritation rose ever so slightly seeing how fast they got over their little scene. "You won't regret it."

_I highly doubt that_, Sonic thought bitterly as the Zuka Club started leading him through what he was supposed to do to get ready.

"You'll be in the performance too, right Haruhi?" Hinkao smiled brightly up at her.

Haruhi sighed and muttered, "Fine. Just no shenanigans like last time, or I'm outta here."

"'Shenanigans'?" Sonic asked, tipping his head to the side slightly.

"They tried something fishy and my dad got into the mess, but this doesn't sound like anything like that," she said.

"Are you two listening? If you ruin this show, we'll be very upset with you," Chizuru scolded.

And with that, the group got to rehearsing what little they had to teach the two new stars. They had to overhaul almost all of Sonic's lines, seeing as how he wouldn't try any harder than he would to kick a rock, and they gave Haruhi a role that didn't have many words but seemed to always be on stage. It hadn't even been an hour full of repeated scenes and irritation when the Host Club barged through the doors, panting loudly.

"_Finally_! The right room!" Tamaki shouted, and he ran to Haruhi and lifted her from the floor. "We found you, Haruhi!"

"Haruhi! When are you going to learn to turn on your phone?" the twins accused, pulling theirs out of their pockets.

"Why'd you fools follow us?" Benio nearly shouted. "Can't you see we're busy?" she yelled, tugging Haruhi from Tamaki's grasp.

"Yes, we can. Terribly sorry to bother you ladies." Kyoya smiled, pulling and Tamaki's sleeve and making him follow him to the door.

"What're you talking about, Kyoya-senpai?" the twins cried. "They took Haruhi!"

"And Sonic!" Tails interrupted.

"I know." Kyoya blunted without breaking pace until they were out the door. He pointed to the wall where a huge poster hung and everyone's gaze turned to it. "But as you can see, they have been 'kidnapped' for a bigger reason then we think."

"A musical?" Honey tilted his head in confusion as his eyes scanned the poster further before breaking into giggles. "It's based on your adventures in America, Tails!"

The two Fuzzies looked at each other, speechless, either too shocked to speak or utterly disgusted.

"Jeez, you guys really _are_ famous..." The twins looked at the poster skeptically then shrugged. "But that doesn't explain why you dragged us out here, Kyoya-senpai."

Kyoya pushed up his glasses and explained. "Just as you said, our fuzzy little friends are indeed famous. It's only natural some bigger form of media would be dedicated to their heroics and natural still that a vast number of people would enjoy seeing such a display. If we, the Host Club were to stop production by removing the main star and Haruhi, imagine how people would react."

The Host Club looked at each other, realizing he was right (they might not want to admit it, but he was). Tamaki looked from the poster to the door and back again before slamming a fist into his open palm.

"Then it's settled!" The King exclaimed with alot more difficultly then he let on. "We will allow this..._production_ to continue, if only for the well-being of the Host Club." He shot a glare at the door and continued in bitter tones, "but, I swear, if those Zuka members lay a hand on my little girl..." He let the sentence trail off threateningly.

"We don't have to _watch_ this thing, do we?" Knuckles asked with obvious distaste in his tones.

Tamaki turned an incredulous look on the echidna. "What a silly question! Of _course,_ we have to! We can't trust these Lobelia girls!"

"What, you don't enjoy the fine arts?" Kyoya asked Knuckles, who looked at him and scoffed.

"Not when Sonic is involved..." The echidna said and Tails giggled. "That hog has about as much talent in 'fine arts' as he does in swimming. And the fact that this is a _musical_ is even worse."

"Why's that?" The twins asked in unison, cocking their heads to either side.

"Well..." Tails began slowly, trying to buy time to put this next piece of information as kindly as possible. "When it comes to things like singing, Sonic's a little what you'd call...um..."

"Off-key." Knuckles blunted and the fox nodded slightly as the twins chuckled.

"But he's not _that_ bad...when he puts his mind to it." Tails tried to defend without lying completely (harder than it seems).

"With a little quaff." Knuckles muttered, under his breath.

"So let me get this straight..." Hikaru began. "The hedgehog can't sing..."

"And Haruhi's acting is robotic..." Kaoru continued.

"_Plus_, the fact Haruhi's failed every music class she's ever taken and these two are doing a _musical_ together with a bunch of wacky feminist?" The twins looked at each other as a silence took over the group. By the end of it, huge grins had taken over the twins' faces as they chimed, "we want front row seats!" and ran off to claim their goal.

"So, the female can't act..." Knuckles was obviously amused with this fact as he looked at the poster with an ever-so-slight smirk. Was it just him, or was there the makings of a flop at work here? "You sure are a talented bunch, aren't you?"

"There's no time for your petty sarcasm now, Knuckles!" Tamaki snapped, grabbing the echidna's wrist and proceeding to drag him down the path to the main theatre. "We must get as up close to this..._production _as we can just in case my little girl or your blue pal need an emergency break-out!"

"Sonic's _not my pal_!" The echidna growled, quite tired of having to repeat this every other day to this blonde, and soon disappeared with The King.

"But the play doesn't start for two more hours..." Honey blinked after them from Mori's shoulders.

"Guess they get points for commitment..." Tails shrugged. "Should we follow them?"

Kyoya considered this. "It would be the smart thing to do."

"We're not going to, are we?" The fox knew the answer already.

"Can we eat cake instead?" Honey asked hopefully.

"I suppose we could, just until the play officially starts." Kyoya figured and the tiny blonde cheered as the group left in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, inside the rehearsal studio, the five people occupying the large room just stared at the door in silence, wondering what the seemingly pointless interruption was all about.

"Well, _they_ were a lot of help." Sonic quipped, shaking his head.

"Why do those fools insist on interrupting us every chance they get?" Benio sighed overdramatically and glanced at the clock out of the corner of her eye. "Time is limited-" she grabbed Haruhi's arm "-come with me, maiden. We must fit you in costume and prepare you for the night ahead!"

"Great..." Haruhi forced a smile.

Benio turned to her fellow club members. "Hinako, Chizuru, you take our little hedgehog and assist the others with set up, understood?"

"Yes, Benibara!" Both girls saluted and scooped up said blue creature, ignoring the profane verbal protests, and bolted out of the room in a puff of smoke.

For the next hour and a half, St. Lobelia Academy would be in a state of last minute preparation. Anything from stage set-up to costume preparation was taking place and threw the school into the typical chaos that came with opening night of a highly coveted performance. Already, the theatre was brimming with students, adults and other ranges of people (including the Host Club) excited for the night's promised performance.

After being fitted for her 'Yankee-style' costume, as Tamaki would probably call it, and managing to sneak away from Benio's...well, craziness is really the only word to describe it, Haruhi stepped outside to escape the insanity, if only for a moment.

Why is it with each passing day her life became more and more insane?

Haruhi sighed. Well at least the insanity was _fun_ right?

"I guess it could be worse..." She figured aloud.

"What could be worse?" Haruhi didn't have to look to see whose voice rose from above her, perched on a tree branch. After all, she never seemed to be able to go outside at night without him showing up.

Instead, she just continued, "my life. Then again, I suppose I _could _be three feet tall and have a knack of showing up where I'm not wanted."

"Hey, I can't help the fact I'm vertically challenged. It's hereditary for us hedgehogs. Plus, I was out here first." Sonic defended, then looked over the branch he was lying on to get a better view of Haruhi. "Nice outfit."

Haruhi narrowed her eyes. "Was that supposed to be sarcastic?"

"No." The hedgehog shrugged. "Just be glad you look better than most of the girls here, and I'm starting to seriously wonder if they're all _really _girls. Not to name any names but Benio's _definitely _one of the if-y ones."

Haruhi let out a short laugh, she had thought the same thing a while back. "Yeah, well if my dad saw this he'd probably have a fit."

"He protective?"

"I guess. Plus he likes Lobelia just as much as you and the rest of the Host Club."

"Why?"

Haruhi shot a glance at the hedgehog. "Are you writing a book? I find it a little weird you always ask questions but never answer any of ours."

Sonic cocked his head, confused. "What questions? I don't remember you asking _me_ anything I _wouldn't _answer. Knuckles, maybe, but not me." Seeing the awkward look that came over the female's face, he added, "if you don't believe me, ask me anything. Promise I'll answer honestly."

"Alright..." Haruhi said slowly, trying to think of something relatively common people ask each other. Usually she'd just decline a request like this, she wasn't too concerned with asking questions, but the Host Club had been with these guys for more than a month and knew next to nothing about them. Frankly, she was curious. "How old are you guys?" Was the first question that came to her mind.

"Me? I just turned sixteen." Sonic thought for a second. "Knux is a year older than me and Tails is nine."

Haruhi shook her head. Now _that_ was probably the weirdest thing she had heard all day, that stubborn echidna and Honey being the same age was unreal. They were polar opposites, and anyone who didn't see that was in definite need of help.

"Wait a minute..." Haruhi ran through the info again and visibly twitched as she looked at Sonic. "That means...you're _older _than me..."

"Guess that means we found the baby and the sitter then, huh?" The hedgehog smirked. "Next question."

Haruhi frowned in thought, this question thing was harder than it seemed. Remembering the hedgehog's early fascination, she decided to go with, "What about your parents? Do you still live with them or what?"

At first, Haruhi thought she may have already gone overboard when the hedgehog turned from her and a silence ensued where the only sound was the muffled commotion of the guests here to see the musical that would began in just a few minutes. Haruhi was just about to switch questions when the hedgehog spoke, still not facing her.

"More or less…" Sonic's tones were noticeably duller than before and Haruhi suddenly felt a little unnerved. "True be told I was just reunited with them not too long ago and things have been a bit…Rocky. It's bad enough we've been through hell and back but after finding them and realizing my dad's been changed for life boarders on insufferable. I mean, I spent years trying to save people, most of them I didn't even know half the time, but when it came to my own family I came up short. Makes me wonder if they wish they'd never had a kid but who knows? Maybe I'm just overeacting."

Haruhi raked her brain, trying to find _something_ to say but in the end only, "oh," came out.

Sonic stood up on the tree limb and stretched upwards, doing his best to muffle a yawn. "But there's not point in living in the past, right?" In one swift movement, the hedgehog leapt of the tree, completed two full summersaults, then landed squarely on his feet with his typical cocky grin. "After all, anyone who doesn't want me is downright crazy."

Haruhi rolled her eyes. _He got over that __way_ _too fast_," She thought as a cringe-worthy voice rose up behind the duo.

"There you are!" Chizuru exclaimed, barging up to them in her own costume. "What are you doing out here? We're going to begin in five minutes!" She shot a glare at Sonic. "_You_ especially need to be there!" Without waiting for a explanation, the Zuka Club member hooked her arms with the two cast members and lead them back into the building and backstage.

The auditorium was filled with chatter as the three of them barged in through the backstage door.

"Oh, _there_ you are, maiden. I was beginning to think you had run off," Benio nearly sobbed, wrapping her arms around Haruhi. All she could do in response was roll her eyes. She'd been doing that a lot lately.

"Remember your entrances," Chizuru mused, pampering Haruhi with any last minute adjustments she noticed.

"And don't you dare forget your lines." Hinako glared at Sonic who merely shrugged. The hedgehog knew his lines well enough. He didn't say much in the play to begin with since the Zuka club "dumbed down" his script "for his own good". They all rushed him to the second floor where he would be put in a harness for the opening scene.

Suddenly the lights grew dim and the audience fell into silence simultaneously. "All right, everyone," Benio stage whispered. "Here we go! Make me proud!"

Haruhi watched from the right stage entrance as a narrator explained vaguely what the story was about. She could see the Host Club sitting in their front row seats, nearly shaking from excitement. Or maybe the twins were already laughing. Haruhi sighed and folded her arms, waiting for her cue and wishing the night would end soon.

As Sonic descended from the top floor there was loud applause, and the hedgehog waved tentatively. There was a blue cloth that was supposed to be water from a pool fluttering beneath him as the girls at each end made it wave through the air, dancing along with it. He landed with a satisfying plop and the girls made a huge splash, rushing towards him and throwing the cloth in the air then hurrying off stage. Haruhi was supposed to let him struggle in the cloth for a while as he said a couple lines that pertained of "Oh no, I can't swim!" or "Whatever shall I do?" as some music started to play.

Just as Haruhi was about to take her entrance, Benio presumably egged her on stage with a shove, making her trip and fall flat on her face in front of the audience. There was laughter throughout the auditorium, but Haruhi just stood up and dusted herself off, then walked nonchalantly (and robotically-her fists clenched tight and her knees locked-as far as anyone else could tell) to her co-actor's side. "Are you ready for this?" she whispered.

"Please. Singing's one of my past-times. If we were actually singing anyways," Sonic muttered back, as he removed the cloth from one of his quills. Loudly, he stated, "Thank you ever so much, my new friend. I'm Sonic, Sonic the hedgehog."

The music swelled as Haruhi said her line. "Hi! I'm! Chris!" And that was all. She said each word as its own sentence, ignoring the front row's groans. The two began to sing, but the music was so loud, no one could really hear them.

"Just three words, and she still can't say them right," Hikaru muttered to his brother, covering his mouth to shelter his laughter.

"It was just three words last time, remember? 'My. Lord. Frederick.'" He numbered each word with his finger, and they snickered together.

"The Zuka Club sure can pick them," they mused as Tamaki shushed them loudly.

"They made my little girl dress as a _boy_?" The King sobbed, his hands covering his face, but failing to shield his eyes like he was watching a bad scary movie.

"What difference does that make?" Hikaru whispered audibly.

"Yeah, we make her do that every day!" Kaoru finished, but Tamaki shot his hand in their faces, silently telling them to be quiet. The crossed their arms defiantly, looking just like Knuckles who was sitting next to Tails on the other side of Honey.

The echidna was glaring at the stage, wondering how the hell he got caught up in the mayhem of actually _watching_ this trash. He tried closing his eyes and falling asleep, but the lights on stage flashed brightly and refused him such luxuries.

"This better be over soon," he growled, but Tails just shrugged.

"I kinda want to see how they portray you and me," the fox chimed. Knuckles rolled his eyes and resumed glaring at the stage.

The first song ended abruptly with Haruhi and Sonic pretty much in the same position they were in when the scene started. They got to their feet stiffly and walked off stage, hand in hand, saying, "We'll be the best of friends forever."

The auditorium filled with applause as the lights dimmed, but the Host Club sat unmoving.

"This is interesting," Kyoya said with no enthusiasm, pushing up his glasses, but before anyone could respond, the lights shot up again.

The rest of the play continued with the same wave of extravagance. Benio played Haruhi's (Chris') father, and Chizuru played the mother who was supposedly a very famous actress. There were a whole bunch more little colorful creatures the Host Club knew next to nothing about, and seeing them on stage erupted a lot of questions.

"Who's that rabbit thing? And that weird blue thing that only says one word?" Hikaru questioned to the remaining two Fuzzies.

"Just watch," Tails whispered.

They all did for a couple more lines.

"What about that pink thing that keeps clinging to Sonic? And what's with the hammer?" Kaoru asked.

"Just _watch_."

It was silent in the group for a few more minutes until Tails' and Knuckles' characters became part of the show. No one could wrap their heads around it, considering Sonic was the only one that was normal sized when it came to them. Everyone chuckled when they saw Knuckles' character start singing about how he was tougher than leather and how he'd rather flex his muscles, but the echidna showed no reaction.

The play continued on with no problems (except Haruhi's lack of acting skills and the fact that no one could hear her or Sonic actually sing). There was a character that seemed almost human, Dr. Eggman, that kept trying to "destroy Sonic", but whatever questions the Host Club bombarded Tails with, his only response was "Just watch."

The club gathered the fact that the Fuzzies were bent on finding the Chaos Emeralds, but everyone kept getting in the way, especially Dr. Eggman and some bat thing that kept teasing the Knuckles character. There was also some weird guy, apparently the Chris character's uncle, that kept trying to race Sonic even though he always lost. It was almost comical, and they actually did laugh through some parts, and as the end grew nearer they were all very wrapped into the story.

"I wonder how they'll do the Chaos monster," Tails whispered to Knuckles, but he just scoffed.

As the performance continued with no issues (considering Haruhi didn't have a lot of lines; she was just on stage a lot), the closing scene started with what seemed like no worries. All Haruhi had to do was stand to the side and gasp whenever Sonic jumped in the air. And after that was all over, there'd be one last song. That didn't seem too hard, did it?

The backdrop of the stage showed the American city in ruins, and there was "water" everywhere as Sonic walked to center stage and announced, "Here comes the Chaos creature!" and pointed boredly to the opposite side of the stage from where he came. Haruhi saw him try to stifle a yawn as a giant tarp with the Chaos monster painted on it zipped into the room from the rafters above. The tarp waved dramatically and Sonic eyed it skeptically. _It didn't really look like that, but okay_, he thought. _Some of this play is totally jank. _"All right, Chaos, your destroying days are over," he yelled at it.

He started backed up a few paces, trying to get a bit of a running start. _Don't do anything to rip it, just pretend_, he told himself, and he rolled his eyes. Yeah, like that was going to be easy. He couldn't control what his quills tore or not. He took off, his first jump ending successfully, no rips in sight. He smiled, then suddenly remembered his line. "Oh, yeah. Uh, take that, you monster!" He pointed at it lamely as it continued to flutter in the mock wind from a fan backstage. As his finished saying his line, a painted rock fell from above landing in front of him. _Oh, yeah. I remember this._ He picked one of them up and announced, "The Chaos monster has drained all the Emeralds of there power. Whatever shall I do?"

"If you have all the Emeralds, you can defeat the monster!" the Tails character announced. "Here, I found one."

Haruhi walked on stage, tripped again, then scurried over to Sonic. "Sonic," was all she said. The rest of the cast emerged from back stage and handed Sonic a painted rock. He struggled to hold them all as Haruhi announced, "Oh. Look. They're. Getting. Their. Power. Back." She struggled with each word like she forgot what they meant.

With a flash, a light from above shone on Sonic. "Oh, uh," he stammered. "Chaos control! I think!" There was scattered laughter from the audience, as he prepped himself for another jump.

The characters for Knuckles and Tails went on about how caring and friendship was what this was all about when Sonic jumped in the air again and tore through the air to the tarp. He heard a loud rip and he cursed to himself internally as the tarp came crashing down. The audience gasped as the set nearly fell apart, but the cast continued to their song about friendship and teamwork without any pause. Something hard knocked Sonic in the head, and he tumbled to the floor along with the destroyed tarp.

The final song ended, and the whole cast was on stage holding a dramatic pose (except for Haruhi who was just standing center stage next to where Sonic was supposed to be). The theater filled with applause, including Tamaki who rose to his feet. "How brave our little hedgie friend is!" he sobbed.

Next to The King, the twins rolled over their seats in a fit of laughter as Tails and Knuckles exchanged blank looks while Honey cheered enthusiastically and Kyoya and Mori showed no real emotion that could be read clearly. No surprise there.

It took at least another ten minutes for the crowd to settle and another twenty for it to thin to the point where only the Host Club and a few unnamed others were left in the theatre, along with the cast now spread throughout the stage.

"Another fabulous performance, everyone!" Benio was walking up and down the stage, praising individuals here and there as they slowly began the clean up (bound to be that much longer thanks to the tarp incident), stopping at Haruhi and Sonic, who now had a headache to add to his irritation. "And it was all thanks to you two!"

"Thanks..." They both said with far more annoyance than excitement. They tried to make it as obvious as they could that they wanted nothing more but to get out of the female infested school. Naturally, Benio didn't get the hint and instead lifted Haruhi's face to her own in that way of pure adoration her creepy dramatic-self possessed.

"Won't you reconsider our offer and forsake that loathsome Host Club?" Benio soothed, inching ever closer. "So much more can come to you _here_, my dear maiden, then with those men."

Before Haruhi could offer her same response to this suggestion, Tamaki's none-too-happy voice rang out behind them.

"Get your creepy hands off my little girl!" The King exclaimed, grabbing Haruhi from Benio with the force of a very determined wanna-be father and moving her to the opposite side of him. "You _can't _have her!"

Benio just scoffed. "Think what you must, _Tamaki_. One day Haruhi will realize her true happiness lies in Lobelia and shall abandon your petty club for one of greater stature."

"We'll see about that!" Tamaki clenched a fist as Benio retrieved Haruhi's hand and kissed it gently.

"I _will_ have you one day, maiden." The Zuka member vowed, shooting a furtive look at The Host Club who looked at each other (the Fuzzies having noticeable looks of confusion and disgust glued to their faces at the scene) before the twins ran over, scooped up Haruhi, shouted "Time to go!" and did just that leaving a trail of dust, soon followed by the rest of the club.

"You can put me down now, guys." Haruhi said irritably, once they stepped outside and the twins reluctantly obeyed but stayed at her sides.

"Well, today certainly has been eventful..." Knuckles stated flatly, sounding absolutely bored as he looked at the night sky.

"Tell me about it," Sonic muffled another yawn. "I've had enough of crazy females for today. I'm bushed."

"I don't know if I can make it through school tomorrow..." Haruhi sighed, realizing how tired she really was for the first time. This really had been one of the longest days of her life and she just wanted to crawl into bed and stop it.

"Then I suppose we'd better depart for the night." Kyoya suggested. "Shall I call you a car, Haruhi?"

Said female shook her head. "My house isn't too far from here. I think I can manage. _Alone_." She shot upon seeing the looks that came over the twins' and Tamaki's faces and they slumped their shoulders in rejection.

"Try not to get kidnapped again, eh?" Sonic looked at Haruhi, who just rolled her eyes but smirked nonetheless as she turned on her heel and strodded down the path to her house, giving a half-hearted wave.

Haruhi half expected to see either the twins or Tamaki following her on the journey home and was frankly surprised when she reached the door with no unwanted guest at her heels.

"There you are!" Her father exclaimed with overly dramatic relief from the kitchen when she opened the door and stepped inside. "Where have you been? It's late!"

Haruhi tried to stifle a yawn as she walked into the kitchen to see her dad (in costume, no less) washing dishes from the meal she missed that evening. "I'm sorry, I just got held up is all. Don't you have work tonight?" She glanced at the clock quizzically.

"What kind of father would I be if I went to work without knowing where my little girl was?" Ranka gasped and drew Haruhi into a loving hug. "What if something were to happened?"

"Nothing's going to happen, Dad." Haruhi assured tiredly. "I was with the club, you know they won't let anything happen to me..._Any_ of them." She added not quite under her breath.

Ranka pulled away and held his daughter at arm's length by the shoulders, eying her suspiciously with a grin. "Why do I think you're hiding something from me, Haruhi? You seem awfully chipper lately. I think you have a dirty little secret."

Haruhi shook her head. "It's hardly a secret anymore, trust me. Don't worry," she said when her father's face went puzzled "you'll find out soon enough. I can pretty much promise that."

With that said, she said good night to her parental (now very curious) and went to bed. It was, after all, only a Monday and if the rest of the week were to continue like this she knew she would need her rest.

**HEY LOOK! A short-ish chapter XD WITH CIVILNESS! :o Hee hee, since I've been replying to reviews this WHOLE story I think I'll let the other wonderful authour answer next chappie ;) DO READ AND REVIEW, or flame :P**


	7. The Musical Whole

**Frogs4dindin- I appreciate your love for the giggles :D They are very happy-bringing, and happy is good. Durhur, Lobelia. If you say so XD**

**9anon- Hehe, awesome! Thank you! I actually had to watch their episodes to make sure I was doing it right, hahhh.**

**Redrover65912- Little hedgie matchmaker is a wonderful idea! Wouldn't that be something?:'D UPDATING! Don't yell at ussssss o.O Teehee 3**

**Shadowonground- Bonding was desperately needed XD No one can really tell 'cause we share a brain. Sometimes we can't even tell. Ain't that weird? XD**

**SoBe-Yummies- YOUR AVATAR IS HONEY! Whoohoo! :D OHMYGOODNESS, WATCH THE MUSICAL? SO DO I :D We should go find out where they're showing it and watch it together :D!**

**Butterflysfree- Or just annoying XD Well, you know. Mondays. They're hectic in and of themselves. Updatinggggg! n.n**

**sotorohenge- That's all they're good for, agreed :D Otherwise, they're just... there. Hahh XD So much drama can be bad for the skin! o: WAIT NO MORE! **

**Barg'n Mark- Awe, you called us great writers :'D Thank youuuuu 3**

**Forsaken Avenger- You never know about those murderous roofs. They seem to just jump out at people o.O And that hosting thing just comes with practice ;D WILL IT STAY THAT WAY? Dun dun dunnnn (no one knowsss)**

**NXT4eva- Dahhh, working on that drawing thing XD It takes so much more time than I ever imagined just to draw them chibi-fied D: So much respect for those animation people, yesyes. And, thank you, thank you. Lobelia's pretty lolz-ful n.n**

**LoveisaDrug009- You should make that account and favorite it and spread the word and all that lovely stuff that goes along with all that! XD Sounds busy ._.**

**Kooaid rage- Twin torture? D: What has she been telling you? o.O /leftout. OHMYGOODNESS, thank you! They're irritating for the most part XD I love Kool Aid, btw ._.**

**Tenten628- YOU'LL FIND OUT IF'N YOU READ THIS CHAPTER. I wouldn't spoil anything :P p.s. We're seriously considering this side stories idea :D**

**Lapras4us- 100+ reviews is enough excuse for a party, if you ask me :'D RIGHT? People are crazy ;P Updatingggg, you're welcome XD 3**

**NONAME- Thanks :D!**

**Super Shadowsonic- The drama was giving me anxiety XD Writing all that tension gets to you ._. Hehe, 'jank'. Thank you, thank you. Watching Ouran obessively does that to you :D**

**TG101- OMG HI! I SECOND THAT MOTION. All other characters, ftw! Kasanoda is like Knuckles in human form, red hair/fur and everything! Kinda creepy o.O**

**Loopsogood- Thank youuuu! Ohmygoooodness. They're quite silly XD And, thank you very much for the love :D It's returned! 3**

**Lol- Sometimes I don't understand what's so appealing about Haruhi at all o.O Haha. Cream. What a waste of space XD Heeheee, 'guest star'. Like it's a talk show or something XD UPDATING! :'3**

**Landollapples- Awe, thank you. We try. Srsly XD YOU'D BEST KEEP READING :P **

**and then some- Ohyes, spreading the word would be WONDERFUL. 'Cause we need more reviews to answer X3 **

**The Pizza Guy With a Hat- Your name made me lol. Thank you for reading it all in one day and proving you really do like it X3 Based mainly on anime, yes :3**

Now there are many things that can lead to a person oversleeping. Failing to set a alarm, that feeling of dead tiredness, or just being plain, old lazy are but a few common ones and the odds of all three happening at once isn't quite as rare as some may think. In fact, the morning following the rather chaotic Monday (that would be a Tuesday) that's just what happened to Haruhi, who probably would have happily slept the day away if she hadn't been woken up by a sudden shuffling in her room.

She groaned and rolled onto her stomach, burying her head under her pillow and pulling it over her ears to muffle out the sound. Surrounded by peaceful, silence Haruhi sighed contently and went back to sleep...Or she _attempted_ to for a few seconds before whatever was in her room decided to climb on her bed and use it as a trampoline. It sure didn't take long after that for the female to throw the pillow at her annoyance and roll over to confront it, only instead she sweat dropped in disbelief.

"You have got to be kidding me..." She now wished her pillow had been filled with something far more heavy than cotton. "The whole concept of _personal space_ doesn't apply much to you does it?"

"What can I say? I get separation anxiety." Sonic replied, all but truthfully, with a shrug. "Besides, if you really didn't want people around you should learn to lock your windows."

_Well that answers that question..._Haruhi thought, rolling her eyes. Aloud, and with amazing effort to keep her voice calm, she asked "Did you follow me last night? Why are you here, and I mean besides to up your creeper status."

Sonic folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently on her bed. "I could ask you the same thing. Do you have _any_ idea what time it is, young lady?"

Haruhi didn't, naturally (who does when they wake up?), but a quick glance at her clock soon changed that and sent her into a spiral of shock and even more disbelief.

"How did I sleep half the day away?" She asked, more to herself than her unwanted company, snatching up her clock and staring at it as if her will alone could wind it back.

"It's only noon..." Sonic glanced at the clock to double-check. "Last time I checked that wasn't half the day...yet."

Haruhi shot him an old-fashioned look. "Half the school day, genius. More that half actually..." She corrected dully. "I wonder if there's even a point in going now..."

"Skip school if you want. I was just sent to make sure you were at the club today by His Majesty who, and I quote, said 'get Haruhi here right away or we'll march right down to her house and take her pajamas and all.'" Sonic stated.

Haruhi sighed. She'd rather avoid having the Host Club come down here and starting a scene...again. "Fine..." she muttered and sat up as Sonic jumped to the floor.

"Okay. You get yourself all prettied up..." Sonic paused for thought. "Or I guess in your case it'd be handsome." He corrected earnestly.

Haruhi narrowed her eyes. "Thin ice, hedgehog." She warned and said rodent raised his hands defensively and zipped out of the room before she had even blinked, figuring it'd be best to wait in the another room.

With a tremendous amount of effort Haruhi somehow managed to lift herself out of bed and prepare for the day ahead...well, the remaining half anyway while dreading every minute of it. It never took her long to get ready, in fact it took more time for her to walk to school, so she was out in no less than fifteen minutes in uniform and all. Nevertheless, it seemed like a forever to a certain supersonic hedgehog.

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase _patience is a virtue_?" Haruhi asked, straightening her tie, but not really expecting an answer since the person she was asking seemed more interested in looking through her kitchen at the moment (again with the personal space issue).

The hedgehog shrugged as he pulled something out of one cabinet, sniffed it then casually put it back as he turned to Haruhi. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be..." Haruhi said with an overly dramatic sigh as the pair started for the door. It faintly occurred to Haruhi that it might be wise to eat before she left since she'd missed breakfast and lunch but found she wasn't too hungry so dismissed it as they stepped outside. The afternoon sun shone high above, sending what would have been a heat wave if there hadn't been a pleasant breeze blowing through.

"Oh crap..." Haruhi stopped halfway down the stairs and turned back to her apartment. "I forgot something." Without waiting for a sign the hedgehog had heard her or even cared, she broke into a slow run.

She didn't slow down until she reached the door and pulled it open, already seeing what she had plum forgot. Her school bag, just laying in the sitting room on the floor. Again she wondered if there was a point then decided _what the heck_ and grabbed it. Turning back to the door her eyes passed over the shrine in the corner of the room. It was her mother's.

However, it wasn't the shrine itself that caught her eye. It was the vivid flowers on it, something she was ninety-nine percent sure _hadn't_ been there last night and knew her father still wasn't home. _Then how the..._Haruhi's thought trailed off as realization set in and she blinked, partly shocked and confused.

"I will never understand this guy..." She shook her head as a grin found its way to her face and she scooped up her bag and left again.

When she finally made her way back to where Sonic was waiting, said hedgehog was tapping his foot impatiently. "You take forever, you know that?"

Haruhi decided not to honor that with a response and rolled her eyes instead. "Are we going or not?"

Sonic shrugged. "I'm not the one 'the king' is threatening to kidnap in my pajamas."

The two headed for the school, a tad bit quicker than Haruhi usually takes it considering her company was constantly rushing her and she was already immensely late. Not many words were said between them, and they made it to the school grounds without any funny business. As they rushed into the front courtyard, Haruhi glanced at her watch.

"There's only a couple hours of class left."

"Thanks for that, Miss Point Out the Obvious."

She shot a glance at the hedgehog who merely shrugged. "I was just thinking it would be pointless to go to class now."

"Then don't go." Sonic fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Seems easy enough to me."

With that said, the duo made their way to Music Room Three where they waited for the rest of the club members. Tails was already sitting in the almost empty room, snoozing on a couch, his namesakes wrapped around him like a blanket, but Knuckles was nowhere to be seen (not that it was any surprise to Haruhi). As they walked in, her attention was drawn to something else entirely. In the middle of the room, where there was usually a couple couches and a table, was an unnecessarily large television surrounded by what seemed like toy instruments. Haruhi groaned internally. _Please tell me they're kidding_, she pleaded silently as she dropped her bag on the floor by the door and Sonic lifted one of the plastic guitars from its stand.

"What do you think this is about?" he questioned quietly, trying not to disturb his sleeping little brother.

"It's a game," Haruhi explained, running her hand over the mock drum set that, to her own judgment, looked nothing like drums but four black plates with different colored outlines placed awkwardly on a pedestal.

"Game?" Sonic strummed the fake guitar and drew his hand away. "What kind of game needs these? This doesn't even feel like a real guitar." He wrinkled his nose and set it back down in its stand.

Haruhi nodded. "I've been to parties where people played, but I've never played myself. It's pretty popular." She eyed all the instruments carefully like they would jump up and attack her at any moment.

"Well, I wanna see what all the hubbub's about." And with that, the hedgehog pushed the power button and the screen flicked on. The screen stayed black with green letters that spelled "VIDEO" in the upper right corner, and Sonic's face was blank. "This looks like a dumb game," he muttered after a few more seconds.

"You have to turn on the console too, Sonic." Haruhi tried to stay patient, but it seemed to be getting harder and harder every day. She pressed the power button for the game console and the screen flickered again. A few logos appeared and then left the screen until it was silent again for a few seconds. Sonic looked to Haruhi who just shrugged. Neither knew what was really happening.

Then the music started playing, the loudest music either had ever heard. It was like a guy screaming at the top of his lungs and guitar and everything else associated with rock music playing as loudly as possible. Haruhi covered her ears defensively as Sonic's ears flattened. Tails jerked awake and fell off the couch with an almost audible crash over the music as he landed on the coffee table.

"_What's going on?_" the fox cried over the din as he flew to the confused duo who just shook their heads. With his ears flat against his skull, the little fox cub hovered closer to the television and turned it down all the way until the screen announced it was "MUTE". The ringing in Haruhi's ears didn't fade as quickly, however.

"That was fun." Sonic grinned at Haruhi who just looked from him to the television and back again

without comment. "Sorry about waking you up, little bud." He smiled at Tails who just shrugged and flew back to his spot on the couch.

A menu appeared on the screen and Haruhi reached to turn it off, but Sonic zipped in her way. "Don't you wanna try it out before everyone else gets here?"

"No, not really," she replied truthfully. "Did you miss the part where it was mentioned that music isn't my strong point?"

"Being a stick in the mud sure seems like your strongest point." He folded his arms and quirked an eye ridge at her.

"Oh, ha ha," she fake laughed, but made no further move to the television controls. "If you want to try it out, fine. Just leave me out of it."

"You're no fun, you know that, right?" Sonic mused as Haruhi took a seat next to Tails on the couch. She decided not to acknowledge that was a reply and just watched as the little fox got back up and scurried to where Sonic was trying to figure out the controls.

Haruhi's stomach rumbled unhappily as the rest of the host club started to arrive. Not surprising, considering she hadn't eaten anything all day.

"Haruhi!" the twins shouted accusingly. "Where have you been?"

"Sleeping," she answered simply as the twins patted her head.

"Our poor little super star was so tired," Hikaru stated.

"We completely understand," Kaoru cooed as said super star rolled her eyes.

Honey announced a jolly "Good afternoon" to everyone before bounding to Tails' side, Mori at his heels as always. Kyoya walked in calmly and quietly, fishing his notebook out of his school bag, and Tamaki arrived right after him, his face clearly stressed.

"Is Haruhi here? Has anyone seen her today? She made it, right? Daddy's worried." He fretted around the room, looking for said female, muttering about how she was kidnapped and they'd have to save up for ransom money.

Seeing as how everyone was ignoring The King's little scene, the twins mused, "So, what's the plan today, boss?"

Tamaki finally looked in their direction and clearly calmed down at the sight of Haruhi safe and sound.

"In case you haven't noticed, our furry friends have found what Tamaki wants us to do today," Kyoya announced since The King was too busy fussing over Haruhi and making sure she was perfectly fine.

"Most of them, anyways," Kaoru pointed out.

"Where's the Knuckster?" Hikaru grinned at his silly nickname for the echidna.

"He'll be here eventually," Sonic stated matter-of-factly, turning his attention only momentarily from the screen. In the time if took for the host club to arrive, the hedgehog had become completely entranced by the game. He had played every instrument (guitar, bass, and drums) but had refused to sing so far saying he wanted to "save his voice".

Almost as if on cue, said topic of conversation skulked through the doors and plopped himself on the couch.

"Where have you been, hmm?" the twins prodded from behind the couch, but Knuckles ignored them which didn't bother them in the slightest.

"Now that we're all here, I feel I should announce today's activities," Tamaki began. "We all saw that horrid performance our Haruhi and fuzzy friend were put through last night, and that got me thinking."

The rest of the club braced themselves, except Sonic who had the television down to where only he could hear it and was playing diligently.

"We need to work on our musical abilities as a whole!" The King threw his arms up dramatically as everyone else relaxed slightly. "And considering I bought this while we were on vacation in Okinawa just for fun, I figure we can use it for something bigger than that now." He grinned widely, making sure everyone was listening to him. "I know they aren't real instruments, but it's an easy start, don't you agree?"

No one said much of anything, looking to where Sonic was enjoying himself, not even acknowledging there was a conversation going on. Haruhi sighed while the twins looked at each other and shrugged. Well, it beat the typical day of hosting, right? At least this way they could ignore their guests and be loud about it.

"Let's do it!" Honey exclaimed in pure excitement, zipping over to the set-up and hopping on the small stool in front of the poorly depicted drum set, scooping up the wooden sticks.

"That's the spirit!" Tamaki cheered, following the little-er blonde's lead and picking up the remaining semi-believable guitar, seeing as how Sonic had the other and was paying no mind to the others.

"Takashi! Come play with us!" Honey waved his arms wildly as Mori walked to his side, who then visibly grimaced as his dark eyes passed over the last remaining instrument.

The microphone.

If there had ever been so much dislike for a single thing before in Music Room Three it paled it comparison to the hate generated towards that little, voice-amplifying device that emitted from Mori at that very moment. The tense silence that followed informed everyone of that much and in the end it was Sonic who broke it by offering up a trade with the silent giant. By the time this had been settled and everyone given a short, simple tutourial of how the game worked, selected the first song and all that good stuff, the female guests had already started piling in with immediate praise and comments on last night's events to which the two stars just smiled and nodded at.

Once all was settled, meaning the guests were now arranged in such a way that each and every one of them had a clear view of the unnecessarily large television while the remaining Host Club members sat and waited to either go up and take their turns or hope if they remained quiet enough they'd be forgotten and wouldn't have to take part in this.

"Let's get this party started!" Sonic pumped a fist in the air as he tossed the mic up and caught it in one swift movement as the first song began with no small amount of excitement from the female guests.

_This is going to be a loooong day..._Haruhi slumped slightly in her chair, trying to ignore the hunger tugging at her stomach and the _hey, ho let's go _that served as the song's start.

As the day drew on, however, she found that time passed rather quickly while either watching or playing, the latter she was forced to do just before the day's end with The Fuzzies on all instruments and her left with the dreaded microphone, singing a song involving some girl not going outside and preferring to stay in a locked room listening to her music (an idea that didn't seem half bad to the female at that time).

When that song had ended, the guest had finished swooning over Haruhi and telling obvious lies about how her voice was "like an angel", it was onto the next song with Kaoru taking over the mic with extreme protest, Knuckles taking over the bass with extreme protest, Haruhi taking the guitar with extreme inward protest and Sonic being the only one who seemed _glad_ to play.

"You'd better have a good grip on those things, hedgehog," Haruhi felt it was just safe to say and was pretty sure she wasn't the only one who pieced the rodent's hyperactive tendencies and the fact he was now on the instrument requiring the most action.

Sonic just rolled his eyes with his typical grin. "Don't sweat it, princess, there's nothin' to this."

Haruhi felt her eye twitch as she heard the guest coo (since most of them thought 'he' looked just like on) and her fellow club members snicker at her newly appointed nickname and did her best not to offer some stinging retort (though a mental note was made to do such later) as the song started. Now it could've been her imagination but Haruhi could have sworn the songs they were playing were getting weirder and, dare she say, a lot more amusing, this latest one having to do a guy singing about some girl with a brain that was rotten and insane or at least that's all Haruhi could make of it while trying not to miss her colourful scrolling notes.

Much to her surprise she was almost disappointed when it was announced the club would be closing in five minutes, still hunger overpowered her would-be sorrow and she wished the day would just end.

"Is something wrong, Haru-chan?" Honey questioned, looking at the female worriedly through his big eyes.

"Nothing's wrong," Haruhi smiled in reassurance. "I just missed breakfast-"

"-And lunch." Hikaru remarked, apparently to the ceiling panels.

Haruhi ignored him and continued. "So I'm just a _little_ hungry, okay?"

"Well we can all take care of that later." Sonic said in bored tones, taking the guitar from Knuckles, not that he cared in the slightest. "_After_ one last song picked by your's truely-" Before anyone could blink the blue rodent had snatched the mic from Kaoru, who blinked at his empty hand, and held it out to the other twin who stared at it blankly."-And you're gonna sing it, pal."

"You're kidding..." Hikaru sweatdropped, knowing full-well the hedgehog was serious.

"Hey, if s-" Sonic gestured to Haruhi, who shot him a warning look, caught himself and cleared his throat. "_He_ can do it, so can you. Probably even better," he added not quite under his breath.

"I don't even know what song we're doing," the twin said, making sure the distain was clear in his voice not that it did much since it took all of half a nano second for the hedgehog to select it.

"Problem solved." Sonic stated simply and Hikaru groaned as his brother smirked from the silly little drum set.

"You can take over." Haruhi didn't so much as give her instrument to Tails as she did force him to take it before sitting down. She could see where this last song was going and knew she didn't what to be a part of the madness that was about to unfold.

"I hate you, just so you know." Hikaru told Sonic who feigned astonishment.

"I had no idea you cared so much," the hedgehog laughed and shook his head. "Would it make you feel better if we spilt the song?"

If one was going to go by the audience's reaction to this idea, the answer would be a solid yes. So as it turned out, most reluctantly and against the better of his judgment, Hikaru agreed to the terms giving the rodent the chorus of the song and all the other high parts the twin would be too lazy to sing.

"How are you going to manage to play _and_ sing?" Kaoru wanted to know.

"And on the hardest difficulty with guitar no less?" Hikaru added, eyeing the rodent at his side and almost at eye-level (with the aid of one of the many fancy chairs scattered around the room).

"Nothing but raw talent and multi-tasking." Sonic replied.

"You do realize multi-tasking is doing two things half-assed, right?" Knuckles said with far more logic than Sonic cared about or was willing to reply to with anything more than rolling his eyes.

"Enough dilly-daddle already. Let's do this before _someone _dies from mal-nutrition." Sonic shot a look at Haruhi, who just turned her attention to the TV as the only thing standing between her and a meal began with ten little words: _last night a little dancer came dancin' to my door._

Everyone played with the same enthusiasm they'd been giving it the whole time. Sonic's face was serious as his fingers clicked the faux guitar's buttons ferociously, hitting every single one perfectly. Kaoru, who had picked the easiest level, was tapping the drum set in rhythm but was missing the orange pedal quite a few times, either because he wasn't paying attention or he just didn't care. Haruhi figured it was the latter. Tails was sitting on the couch upside down next to Haruhi, his feet dangling in the air and his head hanging over the cushion as he played the single note over and over, his tongue sticking out in concentration.

Hikaru sang the verses just fine, considering all he had to do was talk, but when the chorus came, he shoved the microphone in Sonic's face who sang with as much gusto has said little hedgehog could muster, never missing a note. When the guitar solo came around there was no singing, and Hikaru, leaning against the couch's armrest that Haruhi was sitting next to, held the microphone from the cord, swinging it aimlessly.

"This is the kind of music my dad would listen to," Haruhi said, out of nowhere. Her stomach grumbled impatiently, and she covered it, trying to muffle the sound. The guitar music kept playing as loudly as ever (so no one would've noticed anyways), and it sounded like some sort of laser from an old movie.

"Your dad has interesting taste," Hikaru replied with only the tiniest sliver of interest if any at all, grabbing the microphone correctly, prepping to continue singing. As he read the words scroll across the screen, he felt his face get a tiny bit hot. _This is a love song?_ he thought angrily, remembering the he (along with the rest of the hosts) profusely disagreed to singing any of those in front of customers. It was just bad business. No one wanted any of the girls to get the wrong idea, thinking the song was sung for them and fights breaking out. Cat fights, no less.

Hey, it could happen. And it was always best to avoid such scenes at any cost.

But it was too late now. The words scrolled on, and Hikaru read them, willing the song to go faster. _I'd sell my soul for you, babe._ He glanced at Haruhi quickly, remembering her face in Okinawa when the chandelier was plummeting straight for her. _For money to burn, for you._ He remembered how much everyone had teased her about being a commoner. _I'd give you all, and have none babe._ The twin refused to even think anymore about anything and thrust the microphone in Sonic's direction. _Just-a just-a just-a just-a to have you here by me._

The song ended with a final chorus, and all the girls cheered excitedly.

"Oh, Hikaru's such a good singer!" and "Why didn't you guys ever play a _real _love song?" echoed around the room as the girls chattered amongst themselves and their favorite hosts. Hikaru watched as Haruhi nearly ran to the table that was nearly overflowing with cakes and started devouring the first thing she got her hands on.

"Are you all right, Haruhi?" one of her guests asked, picking up a tea cup and stirring it so the spoon made a light _tink _noise against the cup.

Haruhi swallowed her mouthful of cake with a bit of difficulty before answering. "I'm fine." She smiled, a bit of frosting on the corner of her mouth, then she took another bite. "Juss hunnree," she tried to utter through the cake.

The girl giggled as she took a napkin from the table and wiped the frosting from Haruhi's face. Another girl behind her muttered something about how she wanted to do that.

"Maybe you should eat something other than cake." The twins appeared behind Haruhi, a sandwich in Hikaru's hand. He forced it in her hands (even though she did take it easily) then shot his hands away quickly, though Haruhi was too hungry to notice as she stuffed almost half the sandwich in her mouth. The twins laughed. "Slow down, or you'll choke!" they chimed on their way to their customers.

All the guests only ate a little bit and left, considering the club was already finished, but Haruhi was still munching away as the last one left. Tamaki was watching her with a worried expression. "Haven't you had enough, Haruhi?" he questioned when she picked up another piece of strawberry cake. Even Honey, with Tails sitting next to him, looked concerned, watching her eat with his cake waiting patiently in front of him to be eaten.

"Haru-chan, you've had a lot of cake," he managed.

"Too much cake isn't good, no matter how tasty it is," Tails contributed. "Believe me, I know."

"Would you guys quit worrying?" she rebutted between bites. "I haven't eaten anything all day."

"That's what we're worried about," the twins gave her the same bothered expression, pushing their own cake away. Kaoru glanced at his brother who was still looking Haruhi's way, so of course Hikaru was the first to notice the female turn a slight shade of green after she placed her latest cake plate on the table.

"What'd we tell you?" Hikaru scolded as Tamaki scurried to his "daughter's" side.

"Haruhi!" the king fretted as Sonic snorted, trying to hold back a laugh at the sight of said girl's face. "Don't you worry! Daddy's got you!" He lifted Haruhi off her feet, which didn't help her stomach very much at all, and rushed to the door. "Quick! Where's the nearest bathroom?" he shouted as he ran down the hallway, every step making Haruhi's stomach a tad bit more uncomfortable.

The rest of the host club remained in the music room, watching their King sprint out the door and the wrong way.

"You'd expect him to know where the bathrooms were by now," Hikaru mocked.

"I don't expect much from him at all," Sonic countered, and everyone made a sound of humor/agreement, except Knuckles who snorted unappealingly. "Something on your mind, Knucklehead?" Sonic asked from the couch, where he was getting ready to play the game drums on solo.

"Just thinking how much he reminds me of you. Running off with no plan and no idea where you're going."

"Hey, now. I have a plan sometimes," Sonic stated weakly.

Knuckles rolled his purple eyes and made his way to the door. "I'm guessing since I'm done with this 'hosting' crap for today, I can go now." And without any approval, he walked out.

It was quiet in the room for a minute except for Sonic banging the toy drums much harder than was necessary and the light _tink _of silverware against plates as Honey and Tails enjoyed what was left of the cake.

"So what's Knuckie's story?" Kaoru asked, if only to break the silence.

"He doesn't seem very fond of company," Hikaru said blandly.

"Can't really blame the dude," Sonic called from his game. "Where we're from, he's almost always alone, guarding his magic rock." The song he was playing ended, and he zipped to the table where the twins were sitting. "I try to be there as often as I can and brighten up his day, y'know?" he said, reaching for a sandwich and chewing it quickly.

"'Magic rock'?" the twins asked.

"Yeah, the Master Emerald!" Tails announced over his unfinished cake. "It's like the Chaos Emerald we gave you guys, only bigger. A lot bigger!" He emphasized this by stretching his arms out as wide as they could go, nearly falling out of his seat and making Honey giggle.

"Point is," Sonic continued after swallowing the last of his sandwich, "the guy doesn't know how to have _fun_."

"Did someone say '_fun_'?" a dark voice murmured from a black door that no one seemed to have noticed before.

"Was that door always there?" Tails questioned, pointing at it with his fork.

"The Black Magic Club knows how to have _fun_," the voice continued, a cat puppet sticking out of the dark space between the doors moving its little arms animatedly. "Curses, voodoo, we've got it all." A shrouded figure appeared after the cat puppet and froze right in front of the door.

"Is this guy for real?" Sonic asked, jabbing a thumb in the cloaked guy's direction.

"Nekozawa senpai is very for real," the twins chimed, turning away, their interest fading fast.

"It can't be," Nekozawa nearly whispered. "My family has always said it was true, but I never thought I'd be able to see it for myself." He took a step towards Sonic who looked behind him then turned back around. "You talking about me?" said hedgehog asked, pointing at his nose.

"The legendary talking cat, Hana-Neko," Nekozawa announced, kneeling before Sonic. "My family honors you, great one."

It was silent in the room for a few moments until the twins snorted simultaneously.

"Seems we have an identity crisis on our hands," Kyoya stated from his seat across the room.

"Trust me, you'll have way more than a little _crisis _on your hands if I get mistaken for a cat one more time," Sonic muttered, but not entirely to himself seeing as how Tails giggled at his comment.

"Though you have to admit you _could _fit the profile," the twins' insisted, which only made the hedgehog turn narrowed green eyes in their direction that said 'you're not helping'.

Turning back, Sonic looked at the hooded figure before him and rolled his eyes. "Listen guy, you got this all wrong. I'm not-"

"So nobel," Nekozawa practically awed (obviously not hearing what the 'great one' just said), looking up with the kind of adoration the hedgehog was only used to seeing in a certain young fox and that was just downright creepy seeing in a stranger. "I see now why my family has bestowed you in our highest honour."

"But I'm not a-" Sonic tried to begin again.

"Me and Belzenath are blessed to be in your presence, Hana-Neko." Before Sonic could ask who the hell that was (or recall the name enough to pronounce it correctly) a small hand puppet was withdraw in the obvious shape of a cat and forced to bow before the very much bemused hedgie. There was a silence for obvious reasons and Sonic looked at the twins with an expression asking his earlier question, receiving a pair of nods and shrugs as response.

"You need serious bed rest." The hedgehog blunted so earnestly that the remaining Host Club members couldn't help but laugh.

"And with that true fact said..." Hikaru began.

"I think it's time for this." Kaoru finished with a mischievous grin, pulling out a small flashlight from who-knows-where which sent Nekozawa into a frantic frenzy of blabber before the hooded figure took to just disappearing from the room and leaving an obvious silence behind him.

"Does-" Tails began.

"Yep." Honey replied with a nod. "Nekozawa-senpai comes by alot but never really stays long. He wears a cloak because he doesn't like strong light but I think he's great." The blonde smiled as the rest of the club just shrugged.

"What exactly goes on in that Dark Magic Club anyway?" Sonic wanted to know.

"Black Magic," Kaoru corrected.

"And no one _really_ knows..." Hikaru shook his head and the matter was dropped and forgotten as the Club began clean up, a task like so many others had been made easier and faster since the arrival of the newest hosts.

They were done in a matter of single digit minutes and when Tamaki and Haruhi didn't return it was decided the club would find go and them themselves, well minus Sonic and Tails who'd rather avoid the "not-nearly-as-spectacular-rendition-of-old-faithful" (as it was so cleverly put). So with final goodnights, reluctant but there nonetheless, the two groups parted ways for the night.

"So...is it just me or are they actually starting to like us?" Sonic asked with a smirk once the door was shut behind the search party.

"Honey already liked us, Sonic." Tails pointed out. "And I _think_ Mori and Tamaki do too, it's just a little hard to tell with the others..." The fox drifted off thoughtfully. "Mostly with the twins though..."

"They're just difficult," the hedgehog stated simply. "Personally I think they're just too used to relying on each other but that's just me."

Tails watched as his older brother spread out on one of the couches, hands laced behind his head. The fox tilted his head slightly before whirling his namesakes and landing practically on top of the hedgehog in an effort to get undivided attention.

"Sonic?" Tails began quizzically. "Sonic, _you_ like them right?"

The hedgehog let out a short laugh. "Tails, when have I _not_ liked someone?" Sonic paused before adding. "Who hasn't tried to kill me or every other living thing on the planet."

Tails thought for a second before realizing he was right. Despite what some might think, Sonic wasn't quick to criticize and pretty much considered any and everyone an ally unless it was otherwise stated by the individual themselves. That would explain most of the hedgehog's friends and acquaintances, Tails figured as another question crept into his head.

"How are we going to get back?"

"Same way as always, I guess."

"But we only have two of the emeralds, how are we going to find the rest without the Tornado?"

"We'll manage somehow." Sonic winked. "We always do.." he frowned and laughed nervously. "Though I'm in hurry. I have a feeling I'll be in huge trouble when we get back this time..."

Tails giggled, knowing exactly what the hedgehog was thinking. "Sally's gonna be pretty mad, huh?"

"Try furious, lil' bro." Sonic shook his head. "I'll never get that girl..."

"And I'll never get her stupid obsession with you," an all-too-familiar, non-happy-sounding voice erupted from the doorway.

"Boy, you're back early," Sonic said, not getting up to look at Knuckles, who made a point not to look at the hedgehog as he strodded heavily over to the other, unoccupied couch in the room. "And judging by your sunny disposition I'll go out on a limb here and take it that you didn't find what you were looking for."

"_Can it_." The echidna snapped, shooting a glare at the pair. "_You_ should be looking too since, once again, us being here is because of _your _stupidity and suicidal thrill-seeking."

"Who said I didn't?" Sonic asked in fair calmer tones. "At least now it's clear none of the emeralds are on this little island, right? So we just search somewhere else, no problem."

"Somewhere else?" Knuckles repeated with clear acid. "They could be anywhere on this whole damn planet!"

"Just like last time." Sonic reminded. "What a coincidence."

"Last time we weren't forced to stay in one place and occupy a bunch of wealthy brats." Knuckles grated.

Sonic and Tails looked at each other blankly. "Maybe _you_ weren't, Knucklehead but it doesn't matter 'cause we got back anyway, didn't we?"

"I never said say we didn't," Knuckles sighed heavily. "I'd just _love_ to know how we're going to manage to search the world while still keeping our so-called 'debt' handled."

"Re-lax. We'll find a way." Sonic waved a hand, as if trying to wave away the matter as well. "Besides something tells me our other members would _love_ to travel the world."

With that said, Music Room Three fell into silence as the fuzzy portion of the Host Club settled for the night. Meanwhile outside the human majority, having already found the missing duo and now walking out of the building, there was anything but silence.

"Now promise Daddy you'll go home and eat something healthy," Tamaki was saying, or rather pleading in his hysterical fatherly way which so far was only succeeding in making Haruhi very irritated.

"For the tenth time, _I will_." The female stated stonily. "I don't exactly plan to relive the last few minutes of my life, thank you."

"Though it did make good entertainment," the twins figured, cocking their heads to either sides.

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "Please, I think we'd already had _plenty_ of that today," she shot a furtive look at Tamaki, who remained oblivious to what she meant. "Why is each day more insane than the last?"

"I thought today was fun, Haru-chan!" Honey inputted, twirling in a full circle to show his enthusiasm as they continued to walk. "Everything's gotten a lot more fun since we met Tails, hasn't it?"

As a response, the little blonde got a long, drawn out silence from all the other members, except Tamaki (and such was expected from Mori).

Surprisingly, this silence was broken by Kyoya's small smirk. "You do realize," he began slyly. "Adoration is usually suffered in the deepest silence, no doubt?"

"You do realize," the twins replied, "That such large words would throw some of us off." They glanced Tamaki's way, but he wasn't paying much attention, still explaining to the air about how much he, and only he, respected afore mentioned fuzzies.

Kyoya chuckled as he pushed his glasses up his nose with his middle finger causing them to gleam in what little light was coming from the setting sun. "Simply put, they're probably going to be sticking around for a while."

"I sure hope so!" Honey nearly shouted, climbing up Mori's shoulders. "It wouldn't be nearly as fun anymore if they actually left! Isn't that right, Takashi?"

Mori grunted in reply, letting the little blonde sit himself on the silent giant's shoulders without the slightest falter in his steps.

The Host Club members all went their separate ways and made it home as the sun continued to set. Haruhi announced her arrival as she opened her front door and started kicking off her shoes.

"Hey, Princess!" The unexpected voice made Haruhi nearly jump out of her skin as the door shut behind her. _Please tell me I imagined that_, she thought to herself, trying to ounce up the courage to look in the other room.

"Haruhi! We have a visitor!" Ranka pretty much sang when his daughter didn't reply right away. "He's quite the character, if I do say so myself." Haruhi groaned, plopping her bag on the floor and dragging her feet to the next room. Sure enough, Sonic the hedgehog was sitting cross-legged in front of her coffee table.

"Haruhi, this is Sonic." Ranka introduced them by waving a hand from his daughter to the hedgehog.

"About time you got here," he said as she sat across from her dad. "You are so slow, you know that right?"

"Only because you remind me all the time," Haruhi muttered as she poured herself a cup of tea. Even after sleeping in so late, she was tired.

"Sounds like you two are already well acquainted," Ranka mused, sipping his tea. "But I guess that's expected since you two are in the same club at school." A gleam seemed to shoot across his eyes as he glanced Haruhi's way.

The female sipped her tea, buying time. Her dad was always so sensitive when he learned she was "keeping secrets." "It all happened pretty fast, dad. I was going to tell you eventually."

Sonic scoffed. "We've been here for months, and you haven't told your dad? Glad to find out how much you care, buttercup." Haruhi shot a glare his way, but he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Months, you say?" Ranka placed his cup on the table gingerly, seemingly lost in thought. He shot up quickly, looking at his watch. "Oh my, I'm going to be late! You kids behave now! Have a nice night, Haruhi! Don't stay up too late!" And with that, he shot out the door, leaving the two behind.

"What're you doing here?" Haruhi nearly snapped when the door clicked shut.

"I'm just paying my respects." He shrugged again, uncrossing his legs and stretching them under the table and leaning back on his palms. "And to ask him a favor. Your dad's a pretty chill guy."

"A favor? Like what?"

He didn't reply right away, looking around the room. "It's funny how the club room is bigger than your whole apartment, don't you think?"

Haruhi felt a wave of irritation wash through her. "Not everyone that goes to Ouran is rich, y'know."

"Yeah, you're not. That's about it."

"What's your point?" She took another sip of her tea, only to find her cup was empty. She reached for the teapot, and the hedgehog replied.

"No point, really. Just saying. I'm kind of used to 'richness,' especially considering everyone else I know here," he said to the ceiling. "You're different, is all."

Haruhi blew on her tea. "What was that favor you were talking about?"

"Oh, right." Sonic sat up and crossed his legs again. "I didn't give him all the gory details, but I was just letting him know that the club's gonna be going on some trips in the near future."

Haruhi hesitated, expecting him to clarify further. When he didn't, she added, "Trips? Like what? Where are we going?"

Sonic grasped his shoes and leaned back, stretching his arms. "You remember that emerald I gave you guys, and how we told you there were more?" Haruhi nodded, not exactly sure where this was going. "Well, we sort of... lost most of them."

A pause.

"... And?" Haruhi pushed.

"And... they could be anywhere in the world. Seriously." Sonic gave her a second to absorb that. "And since we kinda need them to get back home, we were thinking you guys wouldn't mind helping us find them."

For a minute, the only thought Haruhi had was the fuzzy trio leaving in that weird flash of ceiling light from back in Okinawa and never coming back. She couldn't tell if she was happy or sad about it. Her emotions seemed jumbled.

"I guess... During school breaks, right?"

"Of course. We wouldn't want to interrupt your learning schedule." From his tone, Haruhi couldn't really tell if he was seriously or not.

"Anywhere in the world?" She pondered on this for a moment. "But... I don't have a passport."

"And there's the favor. Shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Sounds like you have it all planned out, so I don't see what the problem is." She got up and started cleaning the table off, picking up the teapot and taking all the dishes to the kitchen. She was rinsing them out when she felt a breeze that announced Sonic's arrival at her side.

He reached for a rag and a cup that she'd just washed before he spoke. "I'll go out on a limb here and say this isn't usually the kind of thing you'd agree to." He dried the cup and placed it on the counter, waiting for her to finish the next one.

"I wouldn't say it's something I'd jump at. Especially not with the Host Club." She scrubbed the dishes in her hand with the sponge and rinsed them clean, handing them off to Sonic. "But I figure even if I said no, they'd drag me along anyways."

The dishes clacked quietly as Sonic placed them on the counter. "Why fight it, yeah?"

"Pretty much."

"Seems like you're pretty used to their craziness, though."

Haruhi put the sponge in its designated place on the sink, turned the water off and reached for Sonic's rag to dry her hands. "As used to it as I'm ever gonna be."

With that, Haruhi returned to the other room with her guest at her heels. A part of her wanted to just turn around and tell him to beat it so she could go to bed, but her wiser part reminded her about the rodent's knack for doing only what _he_ wanted, and she just sighed.

"Are you going to be staying here all night?" is what she asked instead, not bothering to mask the distaste in her voice.

"Hell no," the hedgehog scoffed. "I've got better things to do than hang with you all night." He winked to show he wasn't serious. "Besides, I thought I'd pay the Tweedles a visit in a sec'."

It took Haruhi more time than she'd admit to figure out who he meant by that, and she briefly wondered if Sonic even remembered the club members' _real_ names, then figured it didn't really matter, so long as he didn't get _too_ carried away with nicknames... And that was bordering.

"Are you making it your goal to annoy every club member before the night's out?" Haruhi didn't really expect an answer, so it didn't surprise her when she only got a shrug, and a silence filled the room. It lasted for about two minutes before Haruhi shattered it with a question just for her sanity's sake.

"How long will it take to gather up all of these gems? If only an estimate." She added the last part when the hedgehog didn't reply straight away, his face thoughtful.

"Dunno," he shrugged. "Last time we were here we found them quick enough the first time, but they were pretty close to where we landed."

"The _first_ time?" Haruhi echoed, taking care to put curiosity in her tones.

Sonic nodded. "We had to of found them like three times before we went home."

Haruhi felt her eye twitch. Could she handle that? She barely wanted to travel the entire world once let alone again and again. Just thinking about it made her tired, and the fact she'd be stuck with the Fuzzies didn't help. At least entertainment would be a given, right?

"At least finding them this time will be a piece of cake with the doctor outta the way," Sonic figured, then shot a glance out the window. "Seeing as how it's getting late, I think I'll split and, uh, 'annoy' someone else."

"You have fun with that," Haruhi shook her head, knowing full well how _that_ visit would go.

With last farewells said for the night, and hopefully for a while to come, Haruhi though flatly, Sonic left in a trailing blue streak and gust of wind. Haruhi watched as this streak faded into the night before looking up at a Hunter's Moon that had snuck into the sky without her realizing. Her mind wandered back to the night when their new club members had made their blinding appearance and all the times that followed as Honey's claim of how things would be less eventful once things went back to normal replayed in her head over and over again.

With a heavy sigh, the female went back inside and closed the door.

**So ends chapter 7, my goodness we're getting far, ain't we? A big thanks to those of you who reviewed! We love you all! And to those of you who just favourite this story: Don't be shy! REVIEW! It shows you care and support us :P Until next time!**


	8. The Confrontation

**Shadowonground: Maaaaaybeeeee :P Well, yeah, they were XD And Billy Idol is, in one word, awesome ;) Update is here!**

**TG101: I think everyone loves him in their own way, I know I do ;) Who's gonna appear next? That's a secret ;o Wow, everyone sure loves Rock Band and Billy Idol XD**

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**Forsaken Avenger: Yay! Automatic awesome! I have never played Guitar Hero so I wouldn't know either .o. Lolz. Then you'll love the next chapter ;) WAIT NO MORE!**

**Lapras4us: We did actually :D It was uber fun! I dun think the characters could handle anymore near-deaths XD Will travel change it? Guess you're gonna have to read to find out :p**

**Lol: Nothing is better than a crossdressing woman then a crossdressing woman with an armadillo on their head :D Why does everyone think something's gonna go wrong? D: We're not THAT evil... :D**

**Koolaid rage: Kool-aid is nummy :D Funny, we have a habit of making random fit in well, guess that's just a gift XD Madness? Maybe, maybe ;)**

**Sotorohenge: Pointless characters seems to be Ouran's speciality :P But comic relief does work wonders. Brainwashed? Who did that? XD Chapters! Chapters galore!**

**Butterflysfree: You should :D We do have a weird updating schedule, huh? XD HEy, some Yankee-ness is good for stories. And yes, what WERE they thinking? o.o Who knows how Haruhi's gonna feel? Not us, that's for sure XD XD XD**

**NXT4eva: Drawing is evil! But I wanna learn so bad D: HikaruxHaruhi, the only pairing I really support in Ouran XD Rebel Yell is awesome fun on Rock Band! But it's confusing nonetheless...BARF! WE UPDATED! cha!**

**LoveisaDrug009: Thank you for calling the random amazing XD You have to make them act normal every now and then too even out the crazy :D**

**Tenten628: Hmm...Yes. Yes he is, but there's something adorable about that :D YEAH! Civil pawns! Hope? What is this HOPE you speak of? :P Seperate fic, already posted, LOOK AT THEM!**

**Barg'n Mark: Awe, thanks. Pull off ANYTHING? :o That's something to try :D**

**Landollapples: Maybe you really are a loon? :D But that's waht we aim for, giggles and...more giggles XD**

**SoBe-Yummies: I had no clue whatsoever you loved Honey XD Once you find that play, and want to pay, it'll be a date ;) Bouncin' Around the World? You ARE a Phineas and Ferb fan! :D :D :D**

**9anon: They were 2 very humourous eppies XD 101/10? I know I'm horrid at math but I think that's ABOVE great! Well, here's a part of the 'travel the world' thing for ya ;)**

**The Pizza Guy With a Hat: Well thank you for using our ffic to kill time :D We love you for that. Apparently we're good at the whole 'keeping them in characters no matter what' thing so it's oodles of fun making them do funny stuff. Like in this chapter!**

**SlothFromAnEgg: IT'S ABOUT TIME! XD Don't be lazy! We need all the reviews we can D: Thanks for the love and here's your reward!**

**and then some: If it's not Sonic, what is it? XD Jk, Rock Band IS a pretty awesome game ;) and we have indeed updated!**

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**Mew: I wonder how many people don't know that and how many reviews that's costing us? XD Anyway, I'm so very glad you like it, we've worked hard and we only do so well with the characters because we're obsessed XD Chapter 8 is rite here!**

"It was ridiculous. I mean, they weren't even real, let alone accurate."

"It was just nothing waste of time on Tamaki's part..."

From the bedroom window, Hikaru sighed as his twin plopped down on their bed and rolled on his side to face his brother's direction. It was silent for a few moments, with only the slightest breeze entering through the open window and the sounds of the night fading in and out. Somewhere downstairs, they could hear the maids cleaning and settling down for the night.

"What do you think he'll think of next?" Kaoru asked boredly, breaking the silence.

"Well, whatever it'll be, you can bet it'll be pointless and nothing but a waste of time," Hikaru grated, though his tones mimicked his brother's.

Kaoru just stared at him for a second before rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling. At least _it_ wasn't in a bitter mood for reasons he didn't know. Well, not entirely anyway.

Still, he risked another question.

"So, how long do you give it?"

Already knowing what he meant, Hikaru shrugged. "To it, it seems the only on who actually _wants_ to go back is the echidna, and soon at that."

"True. Then again, look how long Kyoya said they were here last time, and what was that all for? They just came back a few years later to land on our doorstep."

Hikaru merely grunted as reply. For the first time, he wondered exactly how those three fuzzy aliens managed to get here and leave with no giant method of transportation that would send hundreds of people into a sure panic. He figured maybe that had all been explained during the performance last night and cursed himself for not paying more attention.

This time when a silence took over, Kaoru remained silent staring at the roof as if it held the answers he was looking for. He rolled over again towards the opposite wall and stayed this way until a clamour broke out downstairs a minute later. He sat up in time to see his brother turn towards the door. The twins exchanged puzzled looks and shrugged.

"What was_ that _about?" Kaoru looked at the door and quirked an eyebrow.

"Who know-" The other twin began, turning back to the window and stopping as a powerful gust of wind suddenly burst from the window. Hikaru blinked. If his life now didn't involve giant super powered animal aliens, he would have easily been able to convince himself that something hadn't just ran past his window, several stories up, in the middle of the night. But he knew _that_ couldn't happen now.

So, after rolling his eyes, Hikaru turned away from the window and started walking toward the bedroom door. "We've got company," he informed, opening the door.

Confused, Kaoru asked where he was going, and as a reply got another grunt, then a closed door and empty room... but not for long.

"His people skills fascinate me." Sonic's voice made Kaoru jump, and the twin whipped his head towards the window to see said hedgie shaking his head.

"Don't we get enough of you at school?" Kaoru narrowed his eyes and Sonic turned thoughtful.

"Not really," he considered. "When you think about it, you only see me during club hours and whenever I feel like dropping by."

"How did you figure out where we-" Kaoru began, only realizing how dumb the question was when Sonic answered.

"The royal blonde, no surprise."

"Oh," was all the twin had to say, and the room went silent. This being the first time the pair had been along, the cause of tension was fairly obvious.

Hating the silence, Sonic was the first to shatter it, "Well... your house if a hell of a lot bigger than your female member's." Okay, it wasn't the best conversation started, but at least it was something other than leg-less crickets.

"Haruhi lives in an apartment," Kaoru said matter-of-factly. "What do you expect?"

"Not much, I guess." Sonic said with fading interest. "Still, your house even puts Chris' to shame..."

"The kid you were staying with last time," Kaoru stated more than questioned.

Sonic smirked as he sat on the windowsill, leaning against the side and swinging his legs idly above the ground in a way that was oddly Tails-like in the twin's mind. "Hardly a kid anymore, but yeah." The rodent looked at him. "You know, you two kinda remind me of him with the whole 'loner' thing. In fact, the only difference is he was less of a hard head. Sure, the guy's parents weren't around a lot, but he's still okay around people."

Kaoru narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by _that_?" He assured the acid was clear in his tones, and the hedgehog rolled his eyes as he stepped off the window onto the floor.

"Just what I said," Sonic stated, scanning the room before continuing. "Face it, _Kaoru_, you and your brother aren't exactly open hearted, ya know."

"Well, you don't know what it was like for us. No one, not even our family, could tell us apar-" He stopped abruptly and gave the hedgehog a confused look.

And Sonic stared right back. "What?"

"How... how'd you know?"

"Know what? Come on, I don't read minds." Sonic folded his arms, giving the twin a quirked eye ridge.

"You know... which twin I am?" Kaoru swung his feet off the bed and leaned in the rodent's direction. "Or was it just a lucky guess?"

Sonic feigned deep thought for a moment, tapping his chin with his finger. "If memory serves me right, you're the one that threw himself off the roof of that mall we visited, the one that _wasn't _almost crushed by that ceiling, and the one that's afraid of change." He smirked and shot a finger in Kaoru's direction. "I have other ways to tell, but they aren't really important. Point is, you're real good at making things worse than they really are."

Kaoru scoffed. "Or we're realistic. In case you haven't noticed, we've had a lot of near-death experiences ever since _you _came along." The redhead shot a glare in the hedgehog's direction, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Exactly. _Near_-death. In case _you_ haven't noticed, you're both still alive and well." Sonic zipped across the room and observed, with furrowed eye ridges, a porcelain elephant vase. "Especially since my friends saved you. _Both _times." He turned back to Kaoru and folded his arms. "And I don't think they ever got thank yous."

The twin glowered at the rodent, but when Sonic didn't look away, he shifted his gaze to the window. It was quiet between them for a moment before Sonic sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, I don't want to make this uncomfortable-"

"Too late for that, bud," Kaoru interrupted, but Sonic continued like he didn't hear anything.

"But it looks like we'll be spending some time together, so whatever's stuck up your butt needs to scurry its way out." Kaoru shot him a look that screamed 'you're going too far', so Sonic put his hands up defensively. "Just sayin'."

The twin scoffed. "Whatever."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." The hedgehog waved his hands at Kaoru mockingly as the red head lay back down and went back to staring at the ceiling. Sonic looked to the window, considering his visit to be almost over, when the bedroom door opened and Hikaru stepped through.

"Oh, you're still here." The new arrival looked from Sonic to his brother who was scrutinizing the ceiling very hard. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Sonic and Kaoru both pointed out. They both glanced at each other, a bit irritated, and looked away quickly. "We were just talking," the hedgie clarified.

Hikaru closed the door and looked to his brother, who said nothing. "Do you know what time it is?" he questioned the intruder instead, who just shrugged.

"Night time."

The twin sweat dropped and tried to mask his agitation. "Don't you ever sleep?" He tried his best not to sound sarcastic, but it was nearly impossible.

The hedgehog thought for a second. "Sure. When I'm tired."

"If you don't mind, some of us have school in the morning," the twin hinted as he headed towards his bed where his brother already lay.

"I don't mind in the least."

There was a stretched silence as the twins stared the hedgehog down, willing him to leave, but he clearly didn't want to just yet. "I would like to have a word with you, though," he said, making Hikaru groan internally. Sure, he had some questions that'd he'd like answered, but he didn't really _want_ to talk to Sonic.

"What?" he snapped, not giving any sign of getting back off the bed.

"Just the two of us." He paused, and Kaoru furrowed his brow, looking his way. "Oh, please," Sonic jeered when he saw the boy's expression. "We just had a _mano a mano_, didn't we?"

"Whatever," Kaoru muttered, turning to the face the window, putting his back to the hedgehog.

"I feel like that's the only word you know," Sonic mused as Hikaru got up reluctantly with a sigh, and the two headed for the hallway.

Kaoru decided not to honor that with a reply as the door clicked behind the odd duo. He sighed, left alone, and rolled on his back to stare at the ceiling again, reaching for a pillow above his head and clinging to it childishly. He didn't know what that thing was saying to his brother, nor did he care. He just wanted that furry menace out of his house. Or, even better, out of their lives.

He wasn't sure how long exactly they were in the hallway, but when the door opened and there was a slight gust of wind going towards the window instead of out of it, he figured their conversation was over. Sonic stood on the windowsill, waved once in the twins' direction, then jumped out with a quick "see ya".

"What was that about?" Kaoru asked while his brother trudged to the bed.

For some reason Hikaru went a little pink in the face, then replied, "Nothing. It was stupid."

Kaoru eyed him for a moment as he got ready for bed but looked back to the ceiling when he didn't clarify more. They used to tell each other everything, but he figured nothing was normal anymore. He also knew by now that only one thing ever made his brother blush. Well, one _person_.

Hikaru was never exactly good about talking about his feelings, especially lately. Kaoru wasn't completely blind to his brother's emotions; quite the contrary. Considering they had been practically inseparable their whole lives, it wasn't hard to believe the brothers were so in tune with each other. They were always a team, and it never occurred to them that that would ever change.

But Kaoru was no dummy. Sooner or later, Hikaru would finally come to terms with his feelings, and Kaoru knew it. Just the thought of it made him anxious. When that finally happened, then what? Their partnership would never be the same, and he would be the one to end up alone.

His heart sank at the mere thought of it.

'_And you're the one that's afraid of change_.' That stupid hedgehog's words rang through his head, and he scowled at the now dark ceiling. Everyone's afraid of getting the short end of the stick; when you lose your grip, that's the end.

Kaoru turned to his brother who had dozed off. How long had they been laying there? It couldn't have been that long. Maybe he was just tired. Kaoru sighed and rolled on his side to face the wall. After actually seeing Hikaru sleeping, he was suddenly very tired. But as he finally started to feel the sleep trying to figure out if Sonic just guessed or if he really knew which twin he was.

* * *

Considering the week had already been pretty chaotic (and it was only Wednesday morning), Haruhi wasn't exactly expecting any less when she woke up for school. She was eating her breakfast a little slower than usual, not in any kind of hurry, when she heard a quick knock at the door. She tried to stifle a groan as she got up from the floor and headed to open it as the impatient knock came again.

"I'm _coming_!" She nearly shouted as she grabbed the doorknob, already having an idea about who was behind the door. "Is this going to be a regular thing with you, _Sonic_?"

Said hedgehog smirked. "Only if you want it to be, buttercup." He let himself inside, and Haruhi returned to her food, ready and set to ignore him. "I see you learned your lesson with the windows," Sonic pointed out after a short silence, grabbing an apple from her fruit bowl on the kitchen counter and making his way to the other room where Haruhi sat.

"I'm a fast learner," she answered curtly, munching on her egg.

"If you say so," the rodent retorted, but he didn't notice, while biting into his apple, the death glare Haruhi shot his way.

"What are you doing here? I don't need a wake up call every morning." She didn't mean to make it sound rude, but she really didn't seem to be able to hold back when it came to Sonic.

The hedgehog chuckled softly. "Believe it or not, His Majesty actually figured out how to use that emerald we gave you guys and told me to get to his house at unholy hours of the morning claiming it was an emergency. I get there, and he babbled on and on about how important your education is, and he never wants you to miss a day of school again." He shrugged. "Figured since he's royalty and everything, disregarding his wishes wouldn't be safe for my well being." He took another huge bite from his apple and chewed quickly.

By the time the story was finished, Haruhi was rinsing off her breakfast dishes (she would wash them later), and she sighed. "Tamaki-senpai is such a drama queen." She headed for her room to get ready and announced before she closed the door, "I'm almost ready. You can go tell him I'm on my way."

Sonic scoffed. "I'm no a messenger boy. It takes precious energy running from house to... mansion and back again." He finished off his snack and tossed the core into the trashcan in the kitchen. "Besides, he told me to keep on eye on you. He doesn't want anything happening to his wittle girl."

The female rolled her eyes as she made her way out of her room and to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Sonic tapped his foot impatiently, arms crossed and waiting by the front door, clearly ready to go. The tapping continued until Haruhi was finished, and when she finally came out of the bathroom after fighting cavities, Sonic noted, "You take so long."

"It's a girl thing," she retorted and shrugged, reaching for her shoes and slipping them on.

"Well, then do me a favor and make like man so we can split."

"Do you ever _not_ have an answer for something?" Haruhi grated as she followed the hedgie out the door, closing it behind her.

"Never," was the simple reply she got as the two of them fell in step and a silence.

As they continued to walk, Haruhi looked around and noticed for the first time that the pair was the center of at least half a dozen stares from the people hearty enough to be up in the early hours. Feeling far less than a little comfortable, the female faced forward and did her best to ignore the eyes. Having noticed around the same time as Haruhi, Sonic laced his hands behind his head and tsked softly.

"A guy just can't get a break," Haruhi heard him mutter, not entirely under his breath.

"I don't see why they admire you so much anyway..." Haruhi said, hushed and in an aside tone, not entirely wanting to fire up a new conversation but figuring it was better than trying to ignore the none-too-subtle glances they were getting.

"Hey, neither do I." The hedgie shrugged. "Like I already said, I don't save people and whatnot for the fame."

"They why do you?" She tried to make it sound better than it did in her mind.

"I dunno." He shrugged again. "Maybe because it's the right thing. Maybe because no one else will." Sonic paused just long enough to look up at Haruhi. "I mean, just for example's sake, let's say I happen to speed by a burning building, heard people inside, stopped and noticed there was an ever-so-convenient lake nearby. Chances are if it were someone else, they'd point it out and leave on their merry way, expecting them to put two-and-two together."

"Ri-ight..." Haruhi said slowly. "It _would_ be common sense, so what's your point?"

The hedgehog smirked and faced forward. "My _point_ is, if it were me, I'd notice, point it out, and still risk life or death trying to save them because everyone else is standing around like they've got half a brain."

"They're probably just in shock that _you_ showed up," Haruhi stated simply. "You are a hero, apparently." She muttered the last word with dripping sarcasm. "And what do you think they're going to be more focused on? The fact that you hesitated for a nano second or that you saved all those people? Or that you're just crazy?" she added just because it was fair to point out.

"I prefer_ psychotic_," Sonic said pointively. "Has a better ring to it."

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "Either way, there's something wrong with you."

Sonic stopped walking abruptly and without thinking, Haruhi followed suit, looking back as the hedgie quirked an eye ridge.

"And here I was just thinking the same about you and your little humdrum life," he stated with a grin.

Haruhi let out a short laugh. "Please. My life's been anything but 'humdrum' _lately_."

"Let me guess," Sonic folded his arms. "That all started when me and my friends dropping in, right?"

"Well, our near-death experiences have skyrocketed since you got here," Haruhi stated matter-of-factly.

"So? What part of _near_ don't you people understand? Or is it not obvious that the dysfunctional twins are breathing and well?" All this apparently asked to the sky, Sonic sighed heavily.

Haruhi just stared at him for a second before shaking her head. "You've been around Tamaki-senpai too much. You're starting to act like him."

"Wow." For a second, the hedgie's tone was so astonished, Haruhi was expecting a full-blown "moment" from the rodent until that cocky grin of his appeared. "That's the worst thing anyone's ever said to me."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" Haruhi muttered and went back to walking.

"Because, for whatever reasons, people love me," Sonic said, zipping to her side.

"Love and idolizing someone aren't the same thing."

"Shows how much _you _know." Sonic shrugged. "You really are dense. I don't understand why everyone's ga-ga over you."

Haruhi gritted her teeth and, without parting them, said, "And I don't understand why they'_love_'you. Can we _stop_ talking in _circles_?"

"If you insist." Haruhi was about to relax until Sonic added, "But I do have _one_ more thing to say."

With some amazing amount of self-control, Haruhi managed to keep her voice calm as she asked, "_What_?"

"Look at the time."

Baffled for a second, Haruhi eyed the rodent before reaching into her pocket for her phone and flipping it open with rocky grace. She felt something in her wither and die upon seeing, once again, she was running late. Snapping her mobile device closed with far more force than necessary, Haruhi shot a glare at Sonic.

"Don't blame me," the hedgehog defended. "We've already been through the fact _you're_ slow and female."

"How am I going to get to school in _three_ minutes?"

Once the question was out of her mouth, Haruhi realized how dumb it was and, judging by the expression on Sonic's face, what the response was bound to be from the speedy rodent. Haruhi shook her head wildly; she didn't care how late she was, there was no way she was getting dragged around at breakneck speeds through the town.

"Too bad for you; if you're late again, it'll be me who has to deal with hysteric royalty." Sonic gestured to himself. "So I'm taking you to school, one way or another."

The female was just about to retort, with no small amount of venom mind you, when her feet abruptly left the ground and she found herself bridal-style in the rodent's arms. Too shocked, and unadmittedly terrified to do much else but hang on for dear life, Haruhi closed her eyes, feeling the blackness of her own lids would be better than whatever objects be flying around and could make themselves at home in her cornea.

She heard her newfound transportation laugh. "Don't worry," he said in tones twenty times calmer than how the female was feeling. "If you just count to ten, it'll be over in a flash."

Somehow, Haruhi managed a nod and tried desperately to calm down as she let the first of ten digits flood her head.

* * *

"Two minutes left."

Hikaru glanced at his brother shortly, who shrugged carelessly, before looking at the empty desk between them and sighing. "If she's late again, the teacher's gonna flip." He looked then to the empty desk standing in the front. The teacher had stepped out a few minutes ago but was due back any second.

_Where are you_? The twin looked back to the desk next to him and frowned slightly.

As if in a form of a crude response, and one the entire class could have gone without, what felt like a small hurricane abruptly swept the room one way, then suddenly switched directions and disappeared as quickly as it came.

Puzzled, the class broke out in murmurs as the twins looked at each other through narrowed eyes and shook their heads. A second later, Haruhi walked through the door as the bell wailed its morning song and sat down with a sound somewhere between a sigh and a groan.

The twins blinked, confused. "What was _that_ all about?" the asked in typical unison.

"It's nothing. Forget it," was the female's blunted response as the teacher returned and class began.

Unconvinced, but knowing they could press the matter further later, the twins let it go and did their best to focus on school. Haruhi did the same, or tried anyway. It didn't take a rocket scientist to tell her mind was on something else other than the words pouring out of her teacher's mouth. Something like the fact her so-called "ten-second count" only reached four... and a half. Or the fact she'd be traveling around the world in a matter of possible days with her crazy club and a trio of aliens, none of whom got along swimmingly. How the ten of them were going to survive _this_ one was far beyond her.

Still... something inside her was actually looking forward to it, though "it" was more the world than anything else. When it came to unavoidable drama, she could pass.

As so the day drew on, the early-in-the-week sluggishness that always came and seemingly disappeared and, come lunchtime, the Ouran Hugh students were as full of energy as they were rich (with Haruhi being the exception, like always). Naturally, to no one's surprise, Tamaki was among that energetic crowd (one could even say he was the "king") and currently strodding around Music Room 3 while splurging his typical lines of love and beauty that none of the other people in the room were listening to, preferring to eat rather than rant. Though that didn't stop a bit of small talk among the club member that bothered to show up and the five that weren't being ignored.

"So where do you think we should look first, Tails?" Honey's question came almost immediately after the fox had told him what had to be done in order for the Fuzzies to return home.

Tails' expression turned thoughtful before he replied, "Well, I think our best bet would be to retrace our steps from the last time after looking around here." The fox looked to Knuckles for approval, and the echidna nodded curtly.

"You mean to the _U.S._?" Honey's eyes practically overtook his face in excitement.

Tails nodded. "There's actually a high chance we'll find one there, but even if we don't, I'm sure we can get help from the last family we stayed with."

"And in that case, we'll be back home in next to no time," Knuckles clarified, obviously favoring this method.

"Are they really _that_ smart?" The time Honey's question was answered by Kyoya, sitting at a table occupied only by himself and Knuckles.

"The Thorndyke family has made tremendous strides in the fields of science and machine engineering over the last few years," Kyoya explained. "While the family also has relatives in media and other major corporations, both the oldest and youngest are world renowned scientists."

A second after Kyoya has finished, Tamaki let out a delighted squeal and cupped his face with his hands as he squired excitedly.

"I _love_ Lindsey Fair!" he declared, nearly glowing with adoration while prancing around.

Looking for an answer to the King's crazy antics (or at least this most recent development), everyone glanced at Tails.

"Chris' mom," the fox replied. "She's a famous movie actress."

A silent "oh" came from the remaining club members in understanding.

"Not _just _an actress!" Tamaki exclaimed. "She's an absolute goddess! The way she handles her emotions on screen is at the peak of every self-respecting actor's envy! It's one of my life's goals to meet her in person!" A spark flared in the King's eyes as he clenched a fist.

"Are all your other life goals as stupid as that one?" Knuckles questioned dryly.

Tamaki's face went profoundly shocked before he asked, "Why are you always so cruel?" He whined with puppy dog eyes. "Don't_ you _have any dreams?"

The echidna scoffed and folded his arms squarely. "As of now, it's to get back home, back to where I belong. _Then_ to never get dragged into one of Sonic's crackpot adventures again."

"Though the latter is highly unlikely," Kyoya mused and got a side-glare from Knuckles.

"What about you, Tails?" Honey looked at the fox expectantly. "What do you want to do when you're older?"

Tails shrugged. "I guess I never really thought about it. I'm pretty good with machines and mechanics, but besides using them to stop Eggman, I can't really think of another way to use them yet."

"You'll find something," Honey assured happily. "I know you will!" The little blonde laughed and Mori just grunted in agreement as the fox smiled back.

"So, tell us, Tails," Tamaki began with a strong air of curiosity. "How exactly did you meet our heroic little hedgie?"

It didn't take his mechanically smart brain to see that everyone else in the room had been wondering this same thing for a while, so Tails relented and told them about how his young discovery of a plane on a beach lead to something the little fox never imagined in all his young four-year-old life. Even though he kept to the short version, and minded past a few of the more emotional details, but the time his story ended, the bell signaling the end of lunch rang.

Haruhi, who had spent lunch in the classroom with her boxed lunch, was reading when the rest of the class started pouring in. The twins meandered in about a second before the late bell rang and made their way to their seats.

"Hey, Haruhi," they chimed as they both sat down. "How was your lunch?"

"Fine. Leftovers are always a treat," she replied blandly, not looking up from her book. "Where'd you guys go off to?" she questioned, finally glancing their ways. "You're hardly ever almost late."

"We had a meeting with our blue member," Hikaru muttered, staring blankly at the front of the room pretending to pay attention to the teacher.

"It was nothing, really," Kaoru nearly whispered. "All we really talked about was how fancy the school food is and stuff." He shrugged nonchalantly, but didn't look her way.

Haruhi expected Hikaru to say something else, but he was scribbling aimlessly in the notebook on his desk. She thought nothing of it when there was no more input and started the class work, but Hikaru glanced her way one last time, wanting to say something, but not finding it in him to let it out. The rest of the day was a blur to him, his mind on things other than school, like the talk he and Sonic had the night before. Every time it crossed his mind, his face grew a little hot. He couldn't help it, and it drove him nearly mad.

"_Y'know, if you don't go after what you like, someone else might get it first,_" Sonic had said to him last night. Why did that bother him so much? And how come every time he thought of it, Haruhi came to mind?

"What are you talking about?" he'd rebutted.

"You _know _what I'm talking about," Sonic pressed, quirking an eye ridge his way. "Or, better yet, _who_."

That was when Hikaru first went pink, but he tried to play it off. He scoffed. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" the hedgehog rebuffed, arms folded.

Hikaru felt he didn't need to reply to that and avoided the rodent's gaze.

A small silence engulfed them until Sonic finally sighed. "Well, you're completely hopeless."

The red head tsked. "You don't even know me."

"Weird. Your brother said something like that too." Sonic eyed Hikaru for a second before closing his eyes and lacing his fingers behind his head. "Well, I guess it's not that weird. Just think about what I said, okay?" He stifled a yawn as he headed back for the twins' bedroom. "I kinda figured you'd be the type who'd lose it if you didn't get what you want."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hikaru asked, exasperated. As much as he just wanted to go to bed, the hedgehog had the tendency to press his buttons.

Sonic shrugged. "Exactly what I said. I'm not one to speak cryptically. Takes too much effort."

The twin sighed, trying his best to let it go as the hedgehog bid a quick farewell and zipped through his door and out the window.

Oddly enough, he couldn't get Haruhi out of his head ever since... Even more than usual. But the topic hadn't even been brought up at lunch. In fact, the hedgie was acting as if neither of the previous night's conversations happened, and the twins couldn't tell if this irritated them or was a relief. Hikaru also couldn't figure why the blue menace even wanted to spend lunch with them, but he quickly stopped trying to figure out why he ever did anything he did.

When the final bell finally rang, he couldn't believe he'd spent any time in class at all, considering he didn't listen to anything the teacher said. He'd get notes from Kaoru or...

Nah, he felt it best no to bother Haruhi for something like that.

"Hikaru, where are you going?" Haruhi's voice destroyed his train of thought, and he stopped mid-step.

"What?" he asked dumbly, turning around to face her and his brother who was headed in the opposite direction.

"We have a club meeting today," Haruhi explained.

"Yeah, just like every day," Kaoru added.

"Where's your head?" the female questioned, turning back around and making her way through the crowded hallway.

Hikaru caught up quickly, and the three arrived at Music Room 3 without zero distractions and just as many words.

Nearly every other club member was waiting patiently in their usual spots: Honey and Tails were enjoying cake (thought, recently Haruhi had noticed that Tails never even came close to finishing his second piece) with Mori sitting with them; Knuckles and Kyoya were sitting at a table near the far corner of the room with Kyoya typing and Knuckles' arms folded, shooting a hard glare at the opposite wall; and Sonic was lounging on a couch by the window, his feet propped up on the arm rest.

The twins made it to their own little table near the door and quickly went to staring out the window boredly. Haruhi was just about to go sit down (on a couch not currently inhabited by a hedgehog) when Tamaki bounded in the room, his arms full of what looked like pamphlets. Clearly not paying attention to anything but his own personal excitement, the King ran straight into Haruhi, the papers practically exploding out of his arms. The twins laughed but arrived at their side not a moment later.

"Haruhi! Oh, I'm so sorry! Please forgive Daddy!" Tamaki nearly sobbed while he stumbled off of her and landed on his bottom on a pile of shiny paper. "I couldn't see where I was going!"

Haruhi sighed. She was pretty much used to things like this happening. "It's fine. Don't worry about it, senpai," she muttered as Hikaru helped her up, avoiding looking her in the face. The red heads were still snorting slightly to each other until Kaoru noticed what Tamaki was so eager to show everyone. He picked up one of the pamphlets and showed it to his brother.

"Boss, what are you doing with vacation pamphlets to America?" they asked in unison.

Tamaki stood up and regained composure quickly, ready to talk. "Well, since we're all going to America during our next break, I thought we should all see what we're going to do there!"

Honey cheered. "Yay! Vacation in America! I've always wanted to go there! Right, Takashi?"

Mori nodded, wiping some icing off Honey's chin. The little blonde smiled triumphantly up at his cousin.

Sonic sat up immediately, then zipped to the King's side. "Vacation?" he and Knuckles shouted. They shot each other a quick glare before turning their irritation over to the cause. "You think we're going there just for fun?" Knuckles snapped. "This is important! The Chaos Emeralds might be there. We're going to look for them. That's._ All_." He pounded a fist on the table, with much self control, apparently, since it didn't shatter into a billion pieces.

Tamaki looked forlorn. Sonic raised a hand defensively to the echidna who just scoffed and started glaring at Tamaki. "I just wanna be clear," the hedgehog explained. "We're not going there_ just _for fun. I'm sure fun might make its way in there since that's all that ever happens when we travel with you guys, but there is a more important matter at hand. Right?"

The King's face shined as he nodded his head vigorously. Haruhi, who had picked up a pamphlet to an American amusement park, just sighed. She wanted just one break all year _from_ the Host Club, and it was finally sinking in that she would be with them almost constantly for a very long time. She groaned internally.

Knuckles, however, groaned out loud. "You're _kidding _me," he nearly shouted. "I am not spending a whole week stuck to that idiot's hip!" He pointed at Tamaki who wasn't really listening to the echidna's banter. He was more focused on explaining the wonders of travel to Haruhi, since she'd never left Japan before. She wasn't really keen on listening to him talk though, and she was trying to decipher the pamphlet in her hand, considering it was all in English.

"Regardless," Kyoya voiced from beside the angry mole, "you _are _a host, Knuckles, and we're going as a club, so I don't see how you have any other choice."

Knuckles grumbled to himself as the club meeting commenced, his arms folded tightly.

The twins and Haruhi found seats, preparing for the King's words. Tamaki acted like he had a speech prepared for the meeting (and he probably did). "I hope you're all ready for this next school break!" he announced proudly.

"Question, boss," Hikaru interrupted. "Where did you get these?" He held up one of the pamphlets, this one for a water park. It stayed straight for a second, then dropped forward sadly.

"Seriously," his brother added. "And in English, no less." Kaoru studied the one in his hands. He couldn't figure what it was for, but there was a mountain on the front.

"It doesn't matter where I got them, you idiots!" the King said, and the twins shrugged. "As I was saying-"

"Tails said we should start off where they were last time!" Honey announced from his table, and the fox nodded slightly.

"But, wait," Kaoru noted.

"You guys were already there," Hikaru clarified. "Remember, back when we were in Okinawa? You nearly gave Tamaki senpai an ulcer from the stress of not knowing where you were."

"Why did you look for these gems then?" they questioned simultaneously, shooting a look at all three fuzzies.

"Emeralds," the fuzzy trio corrected.

"And we just popped in to say hi." Sonic shrugged. "And that wasn't easy, in case you forgot."

Knuckles scoffed again, but Sonic ignored him. "So with you guys there too, we won't be too noticed."

"Yeah, you'll just look like kids on vacation," Tails said.

"So, are we just supposed to stuff you in our luggage?" Haruhi joked, looking through another pamphlet boredly. No one really noticed as Tamaki sulked into his little sad corner, muttering about how no one listened to him.

"Don't be silly, Haruhi," Kyoya rebuffed. "They're club members too. They'll get the same treatment we do."

"I want Tails to sit next to me on the plane!" Honey shouted, hugging the fox's neck.

"Do we have to take a_ plane_?" Sonic asked with mild distaste. "Being inside those things drives me crazy."

"Why? You can't honestly tell us _you're _afraid of heights," Haruhi remarked blandly, looking up from her current readings to glance at the hedgie.

"Besides," Kaoru began pointingly, "the only other way to get to someplace else from here is by boat or ferry."

"And considering that water scares the hell out of you, plus how well our _last _ferry trip went, I think taking air transportation would be a lot less dramatic," Hikaru finished with a grin.

To this, the hedgehog didn't so much as reply as he did laugh sheepishly and drop the matter. He'd rather not remember that last event.

"So, when do you think we'll be leaving?" Tails questioned somehow through Honey's hold on him.

"Well, our next school vacation is less than two weeks away," Kyoya announced. "Given its considerable length, we should have more than enough time to accomplish our little goal."

"It's not little," Knuckles stated bluntly, but his remark was lost in the excited cheer from Honey and the chatter that broke out amongst the other members about their soon-to-be traveling plans. Rolling his eyes, the echidna crossed his arms and resumed staring at the opposite wall with narrowed eyes.

If he had to go, then so be it; it didn't mean he had to _enjoy_ himself.

Thos last two weeks before the club's overseas travel passed in a blur, as much as some wished it hadn't. It was almost creepy how fast that abandoned music room dissolved into a busy airport to a first-class coach miles above ground level, traveling through the dusk lights of reds, purples and oranges without a problem to speak of. The passengers of this coach (which looked more like an extravagant dining hall with added extras as paid for by the Hosts), well most of them had been none-to-keen about waking up in the twilight hours, as instructed to by His Majesty, just to get a plane that would be there all the same a couple hours later and had been even less unhappy when said blonde came knocking on their doors in hours of the morning they hadn't even known existed. As a result of that, nearly half the weary, and grumpy, club members had fallen asleep within seconds of settling in their seats before the plane had even started moving and would remain that way until nearly half the flight was over.

In fact, only a few of the member who had found themselves to be rather active once awake, or were barely hanging onto their wakefulness, exchanged a few hushed words during the flight's early minutes.

"Aren't you all excited?" Tamaki was practically squirming in his seat from excitement and with far more energy than anyone else at the moment. "Within only a few hours, we'll be in a brand new country on a brand new adventure!"

"Let's just hope this 'adventure' isn't as costly as our last," Kyoya said without looking up from his notebook where he would make a note here and there.

Form his own seat next to his snoozing brother, Hikaru scoffed. "Have you forgotten _who_ we're traveling with?" he waved a hand in the Fuzzies' direction, where the three of them (plus Honey, who had followed through with sitting next to the fox cub) were fast asleep on one of the couches on the other side of the coach. "Let's face it, those three are danger magnets."

"Hikaru has a point," Haruhi agreed after a failed attempt to stop an oncoming yawn. "Since those three came along, it's obvious the club has suffered more than benefited, not to mention the fact my life's gotten that much more annoying," she added under her breath.

"Why must you two always be so negative?" Tamaki fussed, eyeing the two with deep disappointment. "You just need to give them a chance! Not everyone gets a chance to meet such unique characters, and you guys act like you want nothing more than to push them away! If you keep that up, you might just miss something mind-boggling!"

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "Please. My mind's been boggled enough. The sooner we manage to get them home, the better."

Tamaki grimaced as if her words had been a spoken curse on mankind. "Haru-hi!" he whined. "Don't be so cruel! Don't act like you don't love our fuzzy members at all! Even_ you _can't say they haven't grown on you!"

Truth be told, she could very well say that, but whether it would be completely honest of not was a different matter. As much as she hated to admit it, they did have certain traits that had grown on her (this she would _never_ say aloud), and that was almost enough to outweigh the fact they were annoying magnets to danger.

"Even if we have grown to be less irritated by them," Hikaru began, he tones not making it clear if her was any less irritated by the Fuzzies now than when they had first appeared, "I still don't understand why they grew to _us_, of all people."

Kyoya smirked he typical small smirk and looked at the eldest twin from the top of his notebook. "What's not to understand? Then again, how much could you understand about out new members when you won't let bygones be bygones and continue to linger on their past mistakes?"

"They dropped a ceiling on us," Hikaru said flatly. "Last time I checked, that wasn't the friendliest thing to do."

"Also an accident last time_ I _checked," Kyoya countered in even tones. "Nonetheless, we are all alive and well, yet you still despise them for what never happened." Seeing the twin falter, Kyoya continued with his point. "As Tamaki said, keep that up, and you're bound to miss something. If you were to, as they say, walk in their shoes, you'd find that though they may seem careless and silly, their lives aren't nearly as simple as you may think and that they don't necessarily mean to cause so many problems."

Tamaki nodded in complete agreement. "Exactly. All you need to do is take time to bond with them and talk."

"I think I've had enough talking," Hikaru muttered and turned to look at their blue member as their conversation from two weeks ago managed to creep back into his head. Like all those times before, the older twin felt that familiar warmth on his face as his mind found some way to bring Haruhi to mind. He hated that. Had it been_ that _obvious their first night in Okinawa during the storm that he had been worried about her? Obvious enough that someone like Sonic had been able to tell within seconds and had pretty much told him he was in denial?

Inwardly, the twin shook his head. He was thinking about this too much, way too much, and it was too early in the day for such heavy thinking. Plus, he was getting tired all over again. Looking back at the others, he found that Haruhi had taken a step ahead of him and was snoozing quietly compared to the group on the couch (since two of the tree Fuzzies had a little snoring problem), and that Tamaki and Kyoya were chatting about things he didn't care about. With a heavy sigh the twin settled into his seat until he was almost comfortable and fell asleep within seconds.

When he awoke, and it wasn't so much natural as it was forced, he found that everyone else was already awake and doing what they could to kill time. On one side of the coach, Honey and Tails, under the watchful eyes of Mori, were surrounded by paper and every colour crayon you could imagine, each of them focused intently on their doodles, one of a cake and the other of something the twin couldn't recognize. On the other side of the plane, everyone else was gathered around the large dining table where multiple dishes with food scraps had been pushed to one side to make way for a world map that took up nearly the whole table top. After a quick thought, Hikaru figured he wasn't hungry and walked to the larger group.

"Mornin', beautiful," Sonic greeted him from his place atop the table with a short wave.

The twin gave back a half-hearted wave and made his way to his brother's side before asking what was going on.

"We're trying to figure out where we'll be looking for these emeralds besides America," Kaoru replied, sounding more bored than anything as the hedgie pointed to a section of green on the map. "Right now, we're just marking where they went to find them last time."

Hikaru looked at the map and mentally groaned at how many little red X's had been made. "How many of these things are there?" he asked, not sure if he wanted an answer of not.

"Seven," Sonic and Knuckles answered in unison, glaring at each other right after.

"And how many do we have now?" Hikaru questioned.

"Two." Sonic beat Knuckles to it. "We were lucky enough to have been transported with one, and Knux found another during one of his late night adventures."

"Which means there's five left," Tamaki pointed out, impressing everyone with his ability to do simple math.

"How many do you think we'll find in the U.S.?" Kaoru asked.

"No less than three," Knuckles said solidly. "The Chaos Emeralds have a habit of returning to places they've already been every time they're forced to scatter."

Kyoya adjusted his glasses before asking, "Are you sure about that? Seems a bit too easy."

Knuckles folded his arms and shook his head. "Trust me, after all the times Sonic's lost them, I'm sure that's what happened. Not that I care, it just means finding them _again_-" the echidna shot the hedgie a look defined as unkind, "-will be twice as fast this time around."

"More like three times as fast without Eggman butting in every other day," Sonic said, not really making it sound good or bad.

"How come he didn't get transported like you guys this time?" Honey asked, raising his voice just enough so it could clear the gap between the groups.

Not like it mattered since it was Tails who answered him. "Because this time the incident was more, uh, isolated." The fox looked at his adopted older brother, who laughed sheepishly.

"But that's not important," the hedgie pointed out. "What's important is that we have a game plan, and we'll be out of your hosting lives before you know it."

On that cheerful not, well cheerful depending on _who_ you were, the club members dispersed and went off to do their own things which ranged from anything to aimlessly flipping through pre-pay movies to participating in an intense game of charades, then a vain and oddly humorous attempt to do both. It was pretty easy to forget one was on a plane when the interior provided as much entertainment as a standard arcade. Plus, when the flight attendants roll out a nifty buffet on a long silver cart instead of just a complementary bag of salted peanuts, chances are minds get set on a hearty dinner instead of flight. Naturally, the Host Club was no exception to this obvious law and stuffed themselves in a way that was extremely similar to the way people would eat at a Thanksgiving dinner. After that it was no wonder that when the flight attendants returned a half hour later and placed a smaller (but in no way less extravagant) lay out of desserts in front of them, the club members just eyed it with sore but inept temptation. Even Honey had hesitated before taking a piece of strawberry cake.

"Why'd they give us so much food?" Haruhi wondered aloud, her eyes passing over the sweet selection, but her stomach telling her it was unwise to try to fit even one more crumb inside it.

"For real." Sonic looked out at the spread as if it would answer the female's question. "What a waste."

"What is half of this stuff, anyway?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow in question from next to the hedgie and picked up what he assumed was a type of pie tin, though it looked like it was nothing more than pure cream.

"Most of it looks questionable," Kaoru didn't bother with a closer examination like his brother, but shot the same look at the dishes.

"Questionable?" Tamaki echoed in shock, his eyes full of adoring little sparkles as he looked at the array of sweets. "It's a work of art! And as such a magnificent display should be preserved!"

"So, in other words, you're full," Haruhi said dully, and the King sweatdropped.

"If no one's going to eat it, what're we gonna do with it?" Honey asked around a mouthful of cake and fork.

"Just leave it," Knuckles said like it was common sense, as he stood up from the table. "I'm sure the stewards have no problem cleaning up after you since it's their job."

"Actually, I have a better idea," Sonic said slowly, a sly look creeping into his green eyes.

"What?" Hikaru asked.

Big mistake. It was a mistake for three reasons. One, the twin should have learned by now to never ask the hedgie a question with that look in his eyes. Two, he realized too late what the other thing you could do with food besides eating it was. Three... he still had that damn pie in his hand. While the twin had no intention of actually eating the pie, or even bringing it close to his face, the hedgehog to his right had a whole other plan.

_Splat!_

Ah, the sound of a pie in the face. A sound not often heard by the Host Club but nonetheless enough to make over half of them howl with laughter at the eldest twin's face, or what they could see anyway. For a moment, Hikaru steamed, but his anger soon disappeared when the conversation he had had with Kyoya and Tamaki resurfaced in his mind.

'_You're bound to miss something mind-boggling.'_

Mentally, the twin smirked. He didn't know about the whole "boggling" business, but what he _did _know was that he wanted to hit a certain blue hedgehog with a literally sweet form of revenge.

So he did.

Or at least, he tried. He soon found that hitting a small target with incredible speed with a pie kin to the one taking refuge on his own face was, well, impossible. Missing its first, and only planned, target the pie continued to soar through the air, but don't worry. It found another target.

_Splat!_

Poor, little, unexpecting Haruhi.

Tamaki gasped loudly. "Hikaru! Apologize at once!" But no one seemed to hear him over Sonic's laughter. He was standing not two feet from Haruhi's seat, grasping his sides.

The female shot him and the pie-faced twin identical glares before picking up a personal-sized chocolate cake with fancy (and way too much) frosting. "You're gonna get it," she nearly growled, gaining momentum for her cake toss.

But instead of tossing it in the culprit's direction, she took a last second turn and smashed the cake in Sonic's face, who only allowed it because he was still laughing. Haruhi gave a triumphant "Ha" before wiping pie off her face with a finger and sticking it in her mouth. Now it was the twins' turn to laugh as Sonic just stood there, contemplating that he actually was a victim of a food fight. He blinked quickly a couple times before grabbing the nearest dessert plate (this one seemed to be a fruit tart) and hurling it at the cleaner of the twins, a smirk on his chocolaty face. "Whoops. Sorry, it slipped," he explained, shrugging his shoulders.

Hikaru's laugh became louder as Kaoru scowled at the hedgehog, who seemed preoccupied with licking his chops. He turned to his brother, but it was obvious his eyes were shut under all the pie. Seeing his other half laugh so genuinely after such a long while of grumpiness, he felt a smile creep on his face.

"Hey, this stuff ain't half bad," Sonic announced as Tamaki shouted at everyone that it was very unbecoming of a host to toss food around.

The twins met eyes and reached for a dessert in front of them. They motioned that Haruhi and Sonic should to the same, only the latter gave in much quicker.

"Lighten up!" they all shouted, tossing their sugary delicacies at the Host Club King. It was like an explosion of expensive goodies as they all made contact with his head. The first year trio and blue speed demon burst with laughter as Tamaki's face was clearly shocked under all the frosting and sweetness. His manner of disbelief remained on his face until it slowly became replaced with anger.

Which he shot at the twins.

"You idiots!" he shouted, the fury clearly shooting from the blonde's ears.

"Us?" the brothers mused, reaching for napkins and attempting to wipe their faces clean.

Before anything else was said, another pie flew through the coach and struck Tamaki in the back of his head with another satisfying _splat_.

"Whoops," Sonic nearly sang. "It slipped!" He shrugged, trying to appear innocent.

The King didn't have time to respond, considering a half-eaten piece of cake hit Sonic in the side of the face a second later. Everyone turned their attention to the perpetrator to find Tails stifling his laughter behind his hands.

"_Gotcha!_" the fox wailed triumphantly, then exploded with giggles. That was cut short by another piece of cake (this one clearly much more... eaten) striking him in the face and Honey's giggles.

At this point, more than half the Host Club was smeared with sweetness, and even more were laughing uncontrollably.

"Well," Hikaru began, after he finally caught his breath, "it'd be a shame-"

"-to let the rest of this go to waste," his brother finished, a gleam shooting through their eyes.

Sonic caught on quickly, lifting a dessert in each hand, mimicking the twins. In one fluid motion, the three of them chose a target and fired. And so, all hell broke loose, if you will. Nearly everyone (give or take a grumpy red rodent and a guy with glasses) grabbed the nearest plate and flung it aimlessly, laughing as loud as they could (well, except for Mori, too; he'd been a target and had pie crust hanging off his nose, contemplating whether to retaliate or not).

They had finally gotten through more than half the selection when a flight attendant walked in the caked cabin. "Excuse me-" She froze where she stood, and the rest of the room followed suit, some still bearing arms. They all turned to the oddly clean lady who had taken to eyeing the room with some disdain.

Tamaki cleared his throat and dropped the cake he was holding (it landed on Sonic's head since he was using the King as shield for some time), and he said, "Yes?"

"Um..." The flight attendant blinked a few times then continued, "We'll be landing in a few minutes, so if you'd like to wash up, I could bring you some hot towels..."

"That'd be lovely, thank you," the King proclaimed, wiping his sticky hands on his shirt, which didn't do much at all, actually. "And a change of clothes for everyone, if you will!" He smiled dazzlingly, and the girl bowed slightly before scurrying out of the cabin.

"Well, that was fun," Sonic pointed out, then shook himself in that cute animal way of his to try to flick the sugary goodness out of his fuzz- "try" being the prominent word. When he noticed it didn't really work, he just shrugged and licked some frosting off his glove.

"I'd say it was simply a waste," Kyoya interjected. He'd managed to avoid the flying desserts in a far corner of the cabin. "Those were costly."

"Oh, please," Haruhi scoffed. "That's like nothing to you." She'd already tried wiping her face, but figured she'd just wash up in the restroom when her clothes arrived.

"Not nothing." Kyoya scribbled in his notebook for a moment before snapping it shut and clicking his pen. "Neither will be the price for clean up. I suppose I could charge the one responsible..."

All attention was shot towards Sonic who blinked a few times before realizing he _had_ started it. He raised his hands defensively. "Hey, now. No need to do that, specks."

"Let's just get ready for landing, everyone," Tamaki butted in. "We'll worry about the room later." He reached for Sonic and squeezed him tightly. "Our little furry friend here was just trying to get us to act like a family, _right_?" There were tears in his eyes as his continued. "You're so thoughtful!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just put me down now, 'kay?" The hedgie was attempting to push the King away, but Tamaki was never one to take a hint.

At that moment, a handful of flight attendants entered the room, two of them presenting fresh clothes for everyone (even clean gloves for the dirty fuzzies), and the rest bearing hot towels for the Hosts to clean their hands and faces.

"You can wash up completely in the restrooms," one of them said with a smile. "Females' on the right, males' on the left. There's clean towels and everything."

The club gave scattered thank yous and wiped their faces and hands with the steaming washcloths, then made their ways to the restrooms the flight attendant had mentioned. Since Haruhi _was_ the only girl, she had the whole bathroom to herself, and she could honestly say it was overwhelming (though, she was kind of used to such things).

First of all, it was huge. It was also very shiny. The female could practically see her reflection on the tiled floor. There were three stalls in the far corner, each with dark, wooden doors with silver handles. The sinks lined the wall with the stalls, fancy towels hanging between them, and a large mirror with a fancy, intricate frame hung on the wall across from them.

Just when she though it seemed too fancy for her tastes, she noticed a door on the other side of the sinks. Since it was clear glass, it was easy for her to realize it led to showers. Well, technically it was a small room with several showerheads, but Haruhi gathered rich people wouldn't shower in groups, and it was meant for one person.

She shook her head. "Rich people..." she muttered. "All this for a _plane_." She turned around, ready to completely forget the idea of a shower until she saw her reflection in the mirror.

Even thought she'd wiped her face, there were still patches of frosting scattered across her cheeks and forehead. Her hair was sticking up at ridiculous angles, and she realized she'd have to wash it when she tried to run her hand through it. She sighed. First time for everything, right? Not everyone could say they've showered on a plane. Or that the possibility was even available to them. And with that, she placed her clothes on the available counter under the mirrors and took her airline shower.

About half an hour later, the male portion of the Host Club were tapping their toes in the now clean (well, in the process of being clean) cabin, waiting for Haruhi.

Tamaki was fretting, as usual. "What if she slipped and hit her head? What if she _drowned_?"

"You're overreacting, boss," the twins said, leaning on a wall, their expressions clearly bored.

"Yeah, she's just female and slow. It's a conversation we have often." Sonic had his head to the side, trying to get water out of his ear. The sink had sprayed him with more force than he felt necessary.

"Maybe we should check on her!" And with that idea planted in his brain, His Majesty headed for the girls' bathroom. Before anyone could blink, Sonic appeared before him.

"You won't be wanting to do that. Believe me. Girls are very touchy about their alone time."

"Actually-" Hikaru said.

"-He might," Kaoru finished, and the brothers snickered.

"It's only natural for a daddy to want to make sure his daughter's safe!" Tamaki defended, jabbing a finger in the twins' faces.

The red heads shrugged. "Sure, boss."

When Haruhi did enter the cabin, all eyes were on her. She looked a little confused, considering she was wearing a cute little mini skirt opposed to her usual shorts and an actual girly top opposed to a t-shirt. "My dad repacked my bags again," she muttered, tugging at her collar.

"Go, dad!" The twins grinned at each other and gave a mirrored thumbs up.

"Haru-chan! You look so cute!" Honey nearly shouted as he bounded to her and jumped into her arms.

"My little darling's so adorable..." Tamaki cried to himself.

"I hafta agree, you clean up nicely." Sonic paused. "I guess you could say 'girl' up."

Haruhi patted Honey's head without really noticing what she was doing. "Er... thanks."

"In case you've all forgotten, America's right outside," Kyoya said from his seat.

"Of course!" Tamaki emphasized his excitement by pounding his fist in his palm. "A new adventure, everyone! Let's go!" And with that, he rushed to the exit, grabbing Haruhi by the wrist on his way.

"'_New_ adventure'?" Knuckles grunted.

"Don't be such a buzz kill, Knucklehead. Learn to have a little fun!" Sonic slapped the echidna's back, with probably more force than was necessary, and rushed away.

The red mole's irritation rose, but let it drop. He'd get him back, he assured himself. That being so, he stepped off the plane, prepping himself for this "adventure".

**Holy cow, that was lenghty, wasn't it? But I guess that can be your reward for waiting so long for a new chapter XD BTW! We (meaning me and Kassehface) made a seperate fic that's gonna soon be filled with short stories from this fic! You should read and review that too! REVIEW FOR THIS CHAPTER! You don't even need an account all you poeple out there who I KNOW read this! ;) Just click review!**


	9. Gitchee Gitchee Goo America

_**Kassehface hurr! First of all, I'd like to apologize about how long this update took. Moving to the middle of nowhere and not having internet for a month is draining. o_o**_

**Lol Master II: Glad we could be of service in the making you hungry department. Be sure to give us a call if you ever need more help with that. ;D YAY for liking this silly story! XD**

**Mew: Deep down, America is actually terrified. She just doesn't want to show it. :P Thanks! Here's more! :D**

**Tamafanowo: Getting along FOR NOW. We'll see how long that lasts, knowing these characters. XD**

**Koolaid rage: Hehe, shucks, you're too kind. ;D UPDATING! Over a month later. o_o**

**Tenten628: OHMYGOODNESS, hold off your anger from the long wait for the update. D: Long reviews make me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and I love every word. :D**

**The Pizza Guy With a Hat: Well, y'know. Food fights. They solve everything. :D**

**CookiesRgwed: YAY! A NEW READER! Thank you for reviewing. :D UPDATING NOW! Don't give yourself a hernia. XD**

**LoveisaDrug009: Haha, don't worry about feeling like an idiot or laughing at a computer screen. That's my constant state. :D And I'm glad we could help you with that. XD**

**and then some: Friendship? Who told you that? o_O Whoever said it was lying! But, yes. Long chapters seem to be becoming our specialty. XD We just can't seem to stop writing. o_o**

**KITTYTUMBLE: Updating! Calm rich people? That's like an oxymoron. :D They're either having food fights in personal jets or keeling each other. :B I like the sweet choice though. XD**

**Jumper101: You'd BETTER NOT be lazy anymore! ...Even though we're like the epitome of laziness ourselves. XD Thank you for the non-lazy review and loving our kooky story! :D**

**Redrover65912: NEAR DEATHS are BAD. They're always Flyingkunai's fault. D: I usually try to make everything better again. XD Continuing! Updating! Did more! ...Moo! :D**

**Toboe16: AWE! That makes me feel so special. :'D I WISH I lived in Ouran. Seriously. I would probably die of happiness after a week. o_o TOBOE FTW, btw. (:**

**Butterflysfree: What awaits them in America? Well... American food. ;D Gotta get some meat on those little Asian bones, y'know. XD**

**Lolly Gag: Oh, thank you. We try. ;D**

**Ultimate Host: You'd better not! :P Keeping it up! Otherwise we'd have nothing to talk/text about. XD**

**NXT4eva: Haha, I don't think I could review to a billion reviews. XD Your words are sweet and make me feel oh-so-happy. :D You'd best spread the word! :P**

**SlothFromAnEgg: I hope it's just as awesome. Took us forever to write. XD But it was fun. :D ENJOY!**

**Forsaken Avenger: Sorry you had to wait so long. XD America might explode if that many attractive people just appeared in one place one day. For reals. o_o It sounds like a good terrorist tactic. XD XD**

**Shadowonground: Updating! Updating! WHAT? You didn't like chapter 7? D: Hehe, America's not ready. Not in the slightest. (:**

**TG101: Secrets don't make friends. ._. Everyone says Sonic's bipolar. XD I think it's more because I don't know him that well than anything else. XD Food fights make everything better. :D**

**Barg 'n Mark: Food is good, whether eaten or otherwise. :D**

**Landoll Apples: I sure hope there's not building throwing anymore. XD But, we just seem to go with the flow. ;D**

**SoBe-Yummies: Pfft, they don't need extra money, they works for rich people. They get paid enough. ;D Hehe, Phineas and Ferb. (:**

**sotorohenge: Hehe, as long as that something isn't bad, it's alllll good. :D The magic has arrived!**

**9anon: If it rocked so hard, how could you ever forget? XD Cake is never for eating. ;P ...Unless you're Honey. o_o**

**Lapras4us: Awe, you're gonna eat your cake? What a waste. XD**

**Juju Power: It's great that the awesomeness of this story cracked your reviewing shell. ;D You have ten thumbs? ._.**

**YOU ME The Man: Actually, that's how we figure anyone ever finds this story. XD Thanks for the nice words/review! It means a bunch. (:**

Shock.

That was pretty much the only word to describe the look and feel that came over the human majority of the Host Club once the stepped off the plane and into the airport. While the bustling crowds were common enough in Japan, the personalities, look and people of America along were more than enough to shock the rich foreigners into silence.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki called to his so-called daughter as he ran to a nearby booth stacked with colorful little knick-knacks and picked up a minature snow globe. "Isn't this adorable?"

He held it up for the female to see, and she just stared at it. "It's a snow globe of a bridge," she said dully. "I don't find giant steel structures adorable, senpai, even when shrunk and put in liquid."

The King didn't hear her however, seeing as how he was too busy looking at each and every souvenier at the stand wih growing ecstacy. The female rolled her eyes and looked around, then frowned as a question came to mind.

"Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi looked to said vice-president, who was taking diligent notes like always and didn't look up to meet her gaze, but she knew he was listening. "How exactly are we supposed to know where to go? None of us speak English last time I checked."

A small smile appeared on Kyoya's face as he stopped writing long enough to look at her, but didn't answer.

Instead, Sonic smirked and wagged a finger in her direction. "Don't you worry your pretty little head off, princess. Lucky for you, English happens to be one of my specialties."

"It's true," Tails confirmed after a rather disbelieving silence from the club. "He _is _bilingual."

Honey giggled from Mori's shoulders. "That sounds contagious!" Mori smirked as he tired to stop the tiny blonde from falling in his amusement.

"So does 'postulation', but I don't see how that's going to help us." Sonic shrugged but winked up at the miniature blonde. "Besides, we can't dilly-daddle around here all day, we're got people waiting for us outside-" The hedgehog glanced at Tamaki, "-and on of them's eager to meet her 'biggest fan'."

Tamaki's face lit up like a light and the other club members half-expected him to give some sort of fan-ish squeal as he pretty much pushed the rest of them toward the exit (which took longer than they would have liked because A.) the King was nowhere near contagiously bilingual and B.) he kept getting distracted every ten seconds by the American economy). Like an excited, blond bulldozer, Tamaki didn't stop until they finally made it outside into the fleeting light of the setting sun and the warm weather that marked the change of summer to autumn, which made Haruhi suddenly grateful for her unintended change of clothes.

"Wow!" Honey exclaimed as he craned his head back in an all-but-vain attempt to see the top of the nearest skyscraper. "The buildings are almost as tall as the ones back home! Don't you think, Takashi?" The gentle giant grunted a reply, and the blonde laughed, delighted.

"And that's just the view from the airport," a new voice stated from behing the club. "Wait until you see the rest of Station Square."

The club turned to face this new stranger and found it to be a male who couldn't be much older than the Host Club themselves. Next to him stood an older male and female they assumed were his parents.

"Yo." Sonic raised a hand in way of greeting. "Thanks for meeing us."

"No problem," the younger male replied easily. "Anything for old friends." He looked from the hedgie to his other fuzzy companion then the Host Club. "You must be the club members I've heard so much about," he figured and smiled politely. "I'm Christopher Thorndyke and-" he gestured to the others "-this is my dad, Nelson, and my mother, Lindsey."

The Host Club, meaning each and every member not familiar with the Thorndykes, bowed in perfect unision (completely unrehearsed, mind you) and in the way only they could, said "It's nice to meet you" in their typical club way. Well... most of them anyway. Tamaki on the other hand stood there, stone-set and jaw dropped, speechless (which was a rare thing), his eyes set on Lindsey as if she were a rare species of butterfly that would perish within the next minute.

It was then Tamaki let out a small squeak of joy and got more than a few puzzled looks from the people around him as he grasped the hands of the woman he so very much idoled.

"This woman needs no introduction!" the King said with the kind of authority that only came when he was about to go into full blown host most. "We all should feel blessed to be in the presence of such a celestial and divine beauty!" Tamaki practically sobbed as he dropped to one knee, buried his face in his arm as he other kept a gentle grasp on Lindsey. "Never before has the world seen such... such extravagant dexterity on _and_ off screen-"

"And you thought I was kidding when I said 'hysteric fanatic'," Sonic said in an side to Chris, who had been watching Tamaki's display with as much awe as his mom look abashed.

With something telling him this scene could go on for a while (which it was bound to do), Nelson cleared his throat loudly. "Lindsey, dear, we're going to miss our flight if we don't hurry."

"Oh, that's right!" The actress' face went to extremely flattered to sudden urgency in a mere second. "I almost forgot!" She looked at Tamaki and smiled delightedly. "I had no idea forgieners possessed such a charm. Oh, I only wish we could stay and get better acquainted!"

"You're not staying?" Tails asked, with no big amount of surprise, as he looked to Chris' dad, who shook his head with an apologetic expression.

"Unfortunately, Lindsey and I have another affair to attend overseas," Nelson explained solemly. "We're sorry to have to rush off like this, especially when you're just arrived, but we're more than willing to offer our house to you as an apology considering you kids will need a place to stay while you visit."

"We planned on doing that anyways, but thanks," Sonic said, and the couple laughed.

"It's such a delight to have you back, dear," Lindsey professed, pulling the hedgie into a hug nowhere near as terrifying as Tamaki's. "I know I can count on you to watch Christopher while we're gone."

"Naturally," Sonic assured, though he was pretty sure Chris could very well watch himself by now.

The Host Club bowed once more with scattered 'thank yous' and bid the couple farewell as they disappeared into the airport. Once they disappeared from sight, Chris gestured to the limo a little ways down the road, explaining how they should get going before traffic got too bad. The Host Club, minus Sonic who had 'just about enough of crowded transportation for one day', agreed and piled into the not-too-shabby limo (which was _almost _as nice as the ones the wealthy hosts had). The ride, for the most part after the ice was broken, was spent between Christ and the club chit-chatting about anything from the weather to the fuzzy trio that happened to abruptly jump into both their lives.

By the time they arrived at the Thorndyke manour, and the Host Club spent around five minutes gaping at the size of the property and beauty of it, the human part of said club found themselves completely drained. Cursing the evil effects of jetlag and apologizing to Chris to have to retire so soon for the night, the humanoid hosts said their good nights and went into their borrowed rooms where they were asleep within the hour.

Meanwhile, the three hosting fuzzies and Chris sat in the living room, neither group feeling particularly tired. In fact, they were more anxious than anything.

"- But since they have school, and we don't want to ruin their education, we can only look during their vacations." Tails finished explaining their predicatment to the young scientist, who nodded in understanding.

"And thise whole debt we owe them doesn't help," Knuckles added acerbically. "Every second we waste no looking for the emeralds, there's the possibility we might not find them at all."

"Oh, please." Sonic rolled his eyes. "The worst thing that's ever happened to those things is them getting thrown across outer space."

"And whose fault was that?" the echidna asked sourly.

"Not the point," Sonic replied, shooting a glare at the Gaurdian before aimlessly looking through the stuff strewn on the center table, obviously bored with the coversation.

Knuckles growled. "Considering the days we waste here is another day Eggman could take over our plant, _you_, of all people, ought to be concerned!"

"Maybe." The hedgehog shrugged as he picked up a magazine and flipped through it mindlessly. "But we've got plenty of time before that happens, so _relax_." Sonic threw the magazine back on the table and switched to a colorful flyer with a picture of a ferris wheel on it and looked at Chris. "What's this?"

Chris took the paper and scanned it quickly before replying. "It's a flyer for the annual carnival." Seeing the puzzled looks on the Fuzzies' faces, he did he best to elaborate. "It's fairly new, it just started a few years after you guys left. Basically it's a type of huge gathering with games and rides. It's actually gotten pretty popular, and I've been thinking about taking Helen this year." The last thing said in sheepish tones, Chris rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

Sonic's face turned thoughtful. "How many people usually show up to this thing?"

"Over half the city," Chris replied, not entirely sure what that had to do with anything.

The hedgehog eyed his red companion with a grin. "Sounds like the perfect place to find some gossip about certain emeralds, doesn't it?"

"No." The echidna could see where this was heading. "It would just be an excuse for you to waste time and not _look _for the emeralds, which is the whole reason we're here."

"How could checking a near-empty city help us?" Sonic asked. "People talk at huge things like this, Knux. It's not a mime convention. We go, listen for people talking about any of the mumbo jumbo that happens when the emeralds are around, get the emeralds, go home. Easy."

"Sonic-" Knuckles began, but the hedgie cut him off.

"We won't have any fun, I swear," Sonic assured questionably. "But looking there is our best bet right now."

Knuckles opened his mouth to retort, but closed it, realizing the hedgehog had a point and settled for a grunt instead. Figuring he won, Sonic picked up the flyer again and a grin slowly made its way to his face.

"We're not going to have fun," the hedgehog said mischieviously, with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "But I know two people who are."

The other two fuzzies and Chris just looked at each other, wondering what in the world was going on in that rodent's brain.

* * *

"Forget it."

With downright refusal soaking his voice, Hikaru handed the flyer in his hand back to Sonic, who folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.

"Do it," the hedgie insisted.

"No," the twin protested, then, seeing the hedgehog unmoved, sighed. "I'm not even sure she likes these kinds of things."

"So? Even if she doesn't, this is her first time in America, probably the only time," the hedgehog added after a quick though. "So I can guarantee she'd like to see it in action since it's obvious she doesn't travel much. Who are you to take that away from her?"

This time it was Kaoru who spoke. He had been listening to the duo's conversation from the bed of their borrowed room since the hedgie had less-than-subtly barged into the room that afternoon with an idea simply crazy enough to make the youngest twin wonder why the blue menace bothered to even try. "He has a point," Kaoru surprisingly agreed. "Haruhi doesn't get to travel much, and when she does it's with the whole club which is, let's face it, overwhelming. I think she'd enjoy it more if it was just a small group, or a single person," he added, looking at his older brother frutively which made the eldest twin groan.

"But why _me_?" Hikaru wanted to know, though the answer was obvious to everyone in the room.

"Because the rest of us will be busy doing other things," Sonic explained. "Like looking for the emeralds, since that_ is _the whole reason we're here. But since it's her first time here and all, I don't think 'our little princess' should have to spend it working."

"Then why can't she go alone? She's more than capable of taking care of herself, you know," Hikaru stressed.

"So? This is _America_, twinkletoes," the hedgehog reminded as if the name itself was threatening, then shrugged. "Plus, you're the one who has to apologize to her for smacking her with a dessert, making you the perfect escort."

Hikaru shot a glare at the speedy rodent. "I wasn't the _only_ one," he defended lamely.

"But you were the _only_ one who hit her with a sense of, uh, malice," Sonic remarked with a egoistic grin.

Hikaru blinked. Okay, said like _that_, the hedgehog's statement _was_ technically true (though he wasn't entirely sure he'd use the word "malice"), but before the twin could point out the fact he had been aiming for said rodent, there was a knock at the door.

And, because the thing called irony does exist, none other than Haruhi opened the door.

The female just looked at the trio for a moment before saying, with no real flare, "Tamaki-senpai sent me up here to tell you guys it's time for lunch." She looked at each other them in turn before asking, "What are you doing, anyways?"

"Nothing," the trio answered simultaneously, which only rose Haruhi's interest, but she ignored it by shaking her head and just walking out of the room.

She got halfway down the hall before Hikaru noticed the look he was getting from Sonic. It was one of those looks that said the hedgie had one of his most devilish plans yet, and the twin did _not _like it. Sonic just smirked and looked from the twin to Haruhi to the twin again. Finally, it clicked in Hikaru's head.

The twin narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't." He said these two words with a clear warning intended behind them, but the hedgehog just quirked an eyeridge.

"Wouldn't I?" he asked, feigning confusion but unsubtly taking a step back to the door and shrugging. "Hey, if _you're_ not going to do it, someone has to."

Hikaru shook his head in down right refusal. "I can't-"

"You can too," Kaoru cut in, feeling rather bittersweet about this whole conversation. "You have before, after all."

"Exactly." Sonic eyed the eldest twin pointively. "It's not that you can't, it's that you _won't_. Believe it or not, there is a difference, but if you're not going to ask her yourself, I'll ask her for you."

Before Hikaru could respond, or refuse, the little speed demon disappeared from the room and reappeared in the hall next to Haruhi, who looked at him with a 'where the hell did you come from' expression.

_'He wouldn't,i _Hikaru growled inwardly, despite the fact this heart was beating a mile a minute.

He did.

And it make matteres worse (or better, depending on who you are), she agreed. That having been, Hikaru couldn't exactly run out on her without some hardcore excuse, which he didn't have nor could make up without sounding a jerk (which frankly wouldn't have bothered him if he had been dealing with anyone else).

Oh well, at least he didn't have to deal with the rest of the club for the day, right?

And, coincidentally, Haruhi was thinking the exact same thing. 'It couldn't be as bad as last time,' she thought to herself before shuddering at the memory. Well, the _day_ had been fine. It was afterward she was concerned about. But that couldn't happen _again_.

Haruhi found she wouldn't have a lot of time to think on it since His Majesty had his own agenda. He had taken to forming an "English class" after lunch with Tanaka, the butler of the household, and as noble as his efforts were, Haruhi was really the only one who kind of paid attention (the honor student in her couldn't help it). And after less than an hour, everyone else dispersed, considering it pointless since they weren't going to be in America long anyways.

Instead, Tails took to showing Honey (and, inadvertently, Mori) the garage and introducing them to Chris' grandfater who was exceedingly delighted to find "new minds to mold"; Tamaki had taken to blaming the twins about everyone leaving his class (for some reason only known to him) and was having a rather animated "conversation" with them about it, though one of them had his mind on something else entirely; Kyoya made his way back to his room and was clicking away at his laptop; Knuckles had wandered off somewhere, seemingly unnoticed; and Haruhi found she wasn't quite used to the time differences just yet and decided to take a nap, and she didn't wake up until the next day.

Well, she didn't wake up as much as she was pulled out of bed and forced into a cute little lavender strapless dress that went a little past her knees, a little white sweater with sleeves to her elbows and long, wavy hair extentions to boot (Sonic had told the maid, Ella, about the "situation", as he called it, between the female member and one of the twins of the Host Club, and she was more than willing to help at any cost, claiming it was practically a tragedy).

Haruhi was muttering to herself about how she could never sleep in when she was on "vacation" and pulling at the top of her silly dress as she was waiting on the spacious front porch for Hikaru. In all truth, the dress fit her perfectly and there was really no need for her fuss. At least, that's what the elder twin thought (and the thought brought that stubborn blush back to his face) when he finally came through the front door to meet her.

"Mornin'," he muttered, not really looking at her.

"Hey," Haruhi replied, still tugging at her dress, though not as noticably. "Ready?"

The twin grumbled something along the lines of "As I'll ever be," and he nearly dragged his feet to their transportation.

By the time the limo vanished from view of the front porch, Tamaki stumbled out the door, Sonic and Kaoru right behind him. "How could you let this happen, Sonic?" the King whined. "How could you let my precious daughter go out with that ruffian _again_? She should've gone with _me_, her loving _father_!" The blonde sobbed loudly, falling to his knees in front of the hedgehog.

Sonic's brows were furrowed at Tamaki as he watched the seemingly pathetic scene. He looked up to the younger twin who just shrugged with a look on his face that said he was used to this sort of thing. The hedgie cleared his throat, and Tamaki looked up at him from the ground, his eyes expectant and full of tears. "I'm pretty sure you could be very helpful while we look for the Emeralds, your highness. That's why I let Haruhi and Hikaru go together. The red-headed menace would just get in the way, you see."

Tamaki's face clearly lit up at the thought, and he got to his feet quickly. "Of _course_ I would be an excellent reference for you. I am very smart, you know." He continued his little rant and made a walked a little circle, thinking hard, and Sonic winked up at Kaoru who just snorted.

Mere seconds later, the rest of the Host club was out on the porch, fuzzy portion included, waiting for their own limos to go search the town or the carnival.

"Splitting up should make it faster," Sonic pointed out as groups were made.

"And the faster, the better," Knuckles grumbled from the door, but no one seemed to hear him.

After a few minutes of lots of arguing (Tamaki _really_ wanted to go to the carnival to "keep an eye on his daughter", but Sonic's will was immovable, and he didn't want His Majesty interfering in any way), the groups were set, and everyone went their seperate ways.

"You really think we'll find something at this carnival?" Kaoru questioned the hedgie before he got in the car.

"Who knows?" Sonic shrugged. "But I would never miss your brother's little 'date' for anything." He smirked at the twin, and a gust of wind announced his leaving. Kaoru blinked a couple times before shaking his head and getting comfortable in his seat, a slight smile on his face.

The other twin's face wasn't as joyous, however. He was still rather irritated at the hedgehog for setting this whole mess up, and he hated that he couldn't even glance at Haruhi without his face getting hot. The female wasn't really paying attention to him, though. Everything around her seemed to catch her eyes, from the carnival games and all the silly little prizes they offered to the roller coasters that creaked menacingly whenever the cars rushed by. She thought it was all rather ridiculous, but everyone around them seemed to be having a good time.

Hikaru trudged along beside her, his hands stuck in his pockets and his face a little gloomy.

"You bored?" Haruhi's voice made the red head jump slightly.

"Kinda," he muttered, looking around, anywhere but her face.

"You wanna go back?" The female seemed completely indifferent, but Hikaru didn't want to disappoint her.

"Nah, we just haven't gotten to the fun stuff yet." He cringed inside. He really did want to look around; the commoner's carnival _was_ fun (well, the last one he went to back home was anyways), but he was with his brother last time, not Haruhi. Sometimes he really just didn't know what to do around her, and that made him feel weird.

"If you say so," she answered, staring at a carnival game where people were throwing darts at balloons, some of them missing terribly.

Hikaru sighed. "Do you wanna go on a roller coaster?"

Haruhi shrugged. "Never really been a big fan."

The twin's expression quickly went from shielded to shocked. "What?" he asked dumbly.

"Well, only 'cause I've never been on one." The females words had no excitement or much of anything, but Hikaru couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was eyeing another game where people were tossing rings at empty bottles.

Hikaru was about to retort with something along the lines like commoners could ride roller coasters too, when he heard a quick "Pssst" from behind him. He turned quickly to see Sonic gesturing for him to come closer. The twin turned back to Haruhi, but she wasn't paying attention, so he quickly shuffled to the hedgehog's side. "_What_ are you doing here?" The acid in Hikaru's voice clearly there, Sonic quirked an eye ridge.

"Strictly business. Looking for the emeralds and all that, y'know. But I just happened to be in the neighborhood." Sonic glanced Haruhi's way; she hadn't even looked away from the game, and she was making her way towards it ever so slowly. "I hope you're being polite, twinkletoes. All that hosting, and you can't handle a second date?"

The twin sighed, exasperated. "We're doing just fine. It's not my fault-" Sonic cut him off by raising a gloved hand.

"Blah, blah, blah. Your fault and all that jazz. I've heard that shpeal before." He pointed to the female who had taken to figuring out the American money by herself (and with the broken English she'd learned from the little lesson the day before) and was trying the ring toss game and failing miserably. "Bet you didn't even _notice_ she was interested in that, huh?"

"Of _course_ I noticed!" Hikaru eyed Haruhi, a bit of confusion plastered on his face that Sonic noticed instantly.

"Sure you did." He rolled his eyes quickly before the twin looked back to him, his face annoyed. "Look, bud, you'd better learn to pay attention or things will end up just like last time." Hikaru's expression changed in a second from irritated to concerned.

"How'd you know-"

Sonic cut him off like he hadn't even started speaking. "She's looking for you, you'd better hoof it!" And with that, he ran off, a quick gust of wind all there was left to prove he was ever there at all.

Hikaru turned around quickly, and sure enough, Haruhi was scanning the crowd. When she spotted him, she walked over, easing in and out of the wave of people easily. "There you are," she said. "Where'd you run off to?"

"Bathroom," the twin lied quickly.

"Well, you could tell me next time," Haruhi said evenly, starting to walk again. She glanced toward another game that had squirt guns that the people shot into a clowns mouth (which Haruhi found to be slightly creepy) and inflated a balloon above. She furrowed her brow, trying to figure out how it worked, and Hikaru finally took notice to her curiosity.

"You wanna try?" he asked easily. He found it much easier to talk when he knew what was going on in her head.

Haruhi looked a little taken aback by his question but nodded slightly. "These games are weird," she muttered, taking a seat in front of one of the water squirters.

The guy behind the counter raised his eyebrows at her Japanese and Hikaru handing him the money needed for the two of them to play. "Every game has a winner!" he announced loudly in English, as he did before every game started, and a gong announced the game to start. The two foreigners caught on quickly and pressed the buttons on the water guns. It was a close race, but in the end, Hikaru won (but only because he pushed Haruhi's gun at the last minute, earning him a slight slap to the arm). He grinned triumphantly as he was handed a little stuffed panda.

Before Haruhi even got off her little stool, Hikaru pressed the panda into her hands. She looked up at him, slightly abashed. "Hey, what am I gonna do with it?" he asked, letting go of it and forcing her to take it. Haruhi smiled a little, grasping it tightly as Hikaru got up and started walking away.

The rest of the day went rather quickly, the duo playing nearly every game in the carnival twice, and after much convincing (considering Hikaru was in a much easier mood), they rode the biggest roller coaster that was available when the sun was starting to set. They got off laughing, Haruhi pushing Hikaru playfully. "I can't believe you talked me into that." She was gripping her new tiny panda and checking her hair for any falling extentions with her other hand.

"It was worth it, seeing your face." He laughed openly but stopped when he noticed her fussing. "Hey, stop. You look fine." He spoke without thinking and felt his face grow a teeny bit hot and looked away quickly.

"Not that it really matters," Haruhi said, boredly. "I just wanna make sure I didn't lose any of them. That'd be a pain."

Hikaru muttered a reply when Haruhi noticed a stage surrounded by chairs near the edge of the carinval. "You wanna take a rest?" she asked, pointing toward the small group that was growing around the chairs. Before they could take another step, her stomach grumbled loud enough for the two of them to hear, even over the bustle of all the people around them.

"I'll go get us something to eat," Hikaru said, thankful to have something to do. "I wonder what American food they sell here," he wondered aloud before disappearing in the vast ocean of people, and Haruhi wandered over to the seats around the stage and saved the twin one next to her.

The red head was standing in line, rather impatiently, when, he heard a "Pssst" behind him again. He rolled his eyes before turning around to find Sonic gesturing for him to come to him. Hikaru didn't move this time, however. "I'm in line," he mouthed for the hedgie to see, and Sonic zipped to his side. "Well, how are things going?" he asked, looking around. "Did you ditch her again? What's with you, man?"

"I did not ditch her. I'm getting food," Hikaru defended, scowling at the head of the person in front of him. "What do you want now?"

"Just letting you know what's goin' on. Your friends found an emerald in town, and we heard some rumors about some weird goings on around some woods. Oh, and I'm gonna be singing along in the musical number tonight."

Hikaru nodded absently until the last bit clicked. "Wha- Why?" He scrutinized the hedgie that was so much closer to the ground than he was, who just shrugged.

"I'm like a celebrity, and it would make the masses happy. Besides," he winked up at the confused twin, "It's something special." And with that, he rushed away before Hikaru could say anything more.

"Was that Sonic the hedgehog?" the person behind him asked, and the rest of the line started chattering excitedly even louder than before. Hikaru grumbled to himself the whole wait in line and all the way back to where Haruhi was sitting rather patiently, people watching. The twin handed her her corn dog, which she eyed with a tiny bit of scorn, before he took his seat.

"What is this?" the female asked, raising the corn dog by its stick and twisting it in her hand like it would look more appetizing from a different angle.

"I don't really know, but I saw a lot of people eating them," Hikaru answered dully, glaring at the stage.

Before either of them could say anything more, some upbeat music started playing through the speakers, and the crowd around them cheered. A young boy with red hair and in an orange striped shirt came to the microphone and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Ferbettes!" He waved his hand to a group of girls behind him who waved to the crowd. "I'm Phineas and this is Ferb-" he motioned to a boy with green hair and purple pants, jamming on the guitar in his hands "-and we're gonna sing a song! But tonight we have a special guest to help us! Give it up for Sonic the hedgehog!"

Sonic ran on stage and waved both his arms above his head, and the crowd grew even louder, most of them getting to their feet. "This is for a couple in the audience who clearly needs a little help," he said into the microphone, and everyone laughed lightly, except said couple who didn't understand English.

The opening of the song was filled with gibberish that Haruhi was trying to decipher when Sonic started singing the first verse in Japanese, though the crowd was continuing in their own tongue, so most of them didn't even notice.

_My baby's got her own way of talkin' whenever she says something sweet, and she knows it's my world she's a-rockin' when my vocaulary's incomplete. I know it may sound confusing. Sometimes I wish she'd give it to me straight, but I never feel like I'm losin' when I take the time to translate._

This time, between the silly words that made no sense, Sonic sang to clear some things up.

_Bow chicka bow wow, that's what my baby says. Mow mow mow, and my heart start pumpin'. Chicka chicka choo wop, never gonna stop. Gitchee gitchee goo means that I love you._

With the last three words he locked eyes with Hikaru and shot a glance at Haruhi who was watching the scene with as much enthusiasm as she was willing to show. The boy looked Haruhi's way, and she looked back, a small smile on her face. "This song is so pointless," she shouted above all the din, but Hikaru was thinking something else entirely.

The hedgehog let the boy named Phineas and a tall, read-headed girl finish singing the rest of the song in English, but he hung around and help sing the background parts. When the song was over, everyone on stage took a deep bow, and the crowd cheered excessively, even as the performers were leaving the stage.

"Seems like a popular song," Haruhi guessed correctly, standing up and stretching. "Even though the words made no sense."

Hikaru chuckled weakly. "Yeah, no sense." His mind was racing, wondering when Sonic would appear and make him look a fool in front of Haruhi, but the hedgehog never came, even when they were walking to the street to their waiting ride. The night was rather comfortable, a slight breeze working its way through the whatever trees there were and rustling the leaves making a nice, crisp sound. Hikaru dared a glance Haruhi's way, but her face in the pale moonlight was enough to make his heart skip a beat.

_Damn_, he thought to himself. _Get yourself together. It was just a stupid, pointless song. _Why did music always do this to him?

They were walking through a smalle field between the carnival and the road when they heard a loud pop and thy sky lit up bright red. They turned around and saw fireworks shoot through the stars just to explode into tons of different colors. Haruhi smiled. "I love fireworks." She gazed up at the lights and hugged the little panda Hikaru had given her.

But Hikaru wasn't looking at the fireworks. His eyes were locked on Haruhi and how the colors reflected off her large, dark eyes and how pretty a smile looked on her face. He reached a hand towards her, not exactly sure what he was going to do. "Haruhi, I-"

She turned to him, and his heart nearly melted when her eyes met his. A million thoughts rushed through his head, but the only thing that really made it through to understanding was the stupid song's line: _Gitchee gitchee goo._ His hand shot back to his side, and he bit his tongue to hold his thoughts back. Instead, he said, "We should go, it's getting late."

Haruhi's face looked ever so slightly downcast when she turned back to the fireworks. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she agreed, and she turned back around and headed for the road.

Hikaru watched her walk and cursed himself a million times over. He turned back to the carnival and cursed Sonic twice as many times before turning back and following Haruhi. When the two were finally to the street and in the limo, Sonic and Kaoru muttered angrily at each other from behind a tree.

"See? I told you he wouldn't say it," the younger twin argued in a stage whisper.

"He was going to, and you know it!" Sonic whispered back.

"I think I know my brother a little better than you, Sonic."

"Well, you're both dummies, so I can see how it would be easy for you."

Before Kaoru could say anything against that, Tails' head appeared from the leaves above them. "Why are you guys whispering?" he asked, cocking his head to the side and twitching an ear back. "They're gone."

The duo under the leaves looked at each other, confused, and shrugged in unison.

"Now things are going to be worse between them," Kaoru muttered, rubbing the back of this neck.

"Or, they'll act like it never happened. They're really good at that, those two." Sonic shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

Tails jumped out of the tree and hovered above them. for a moment before plopping down in front of them. "What're you guys talkin' about?" he questioned, waving his arms to balance himself.

The red head and blue hedgie glanced at each other before patting the kit's head. "It's nothin', little bud," Sonic assured.

"They're both just pretty dense, is all," Kaoru clarified poorly.

"If you say so." Tails pushed their hands off his head and pointed with his thumb to the road. "Well, Honey's probably wondering where I am, so I'll just see you guys in the limo." He paused. "Well, I'll see you, Kaoru." And with that, he prepped his namesakes for lift off and flew away.

When the two were alone, the taller one sighed and shook his head. "My brother is a hopeless cause."

"Him and you both,dude," Sonic laughed. Kaoru furrowed his brow at the hedgehog who just shrugged. "Just sayin'. See ya back at the house." And a quick gust of wind announced his leaving yet again. Kaoru rolled his eyes and started for the limo waiting for him where he was sure Honey and Tails were laughing about something together.

He wondered if he could ever just wipe these intruders from his memory once they left, but after a second thought he knew that would be impossible.

**Finally! Sorry for the long wait, but it's finally here! :D You'd best review 'cause it makes us want to write faster! ...Well, whether or not that's true, you should review anyways. (: And don't forget to read the side stories! Which will be updated soon enough! :D**


	10. The Freedom Fighters

The Host Club was in a good mood.

As hard as it was to believe, it was true. The entirety of the club was in one of, if not the, best moods Haruhi had seen them in a long time (not a-counting their food fight some odd miles in the air) and she was no exception. She didn't know why, she had just woken up in the kind of bliss she often thought plagued Tamaki and, upon arriving downstairs, had found effected everyone else. Her conclusion: there had to be a gas leak.

"Good morning, Haru-chan!" Honey's ever-enthusiastic voice rang out the second the female stepped into the room and Haruhi soon found herself the victim of the little blonde's vicious cling.

"Morning, Honey-senpai," She somehow managed with the blonde's happy squirming, returning the hug automatically.

"Awe, how cute," Sonic remarked from the windowsill with the other fuzzy portion of the club. "Can I have a hug too?"

"Not a chance, hedgehog." Haruhi replied flatly, though she wondered why she even bothered with a response since he hadn't sounded all too serious.

"Ouch." Sonic flinched overdramatically and shook his head. "You know, I don't think I've ever been so openly rejected before. It's enough to depress a guy," he added feigning a hurt look, a look that disappeared a half-second later as Honey decided to fulfill the hedgie's request, causing Tails to giggle at his adoptive brother's expression.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki turned as disappointed look to his not-so-blood-related daughter, clearly upset. "You shouldn't be so mean to our fuzzie fellows!"

Haruhi sighed, raising her hands in a _no harm intended _kind of way. "I was just joking," she said, hoping she sounded more convincing than she thought, though she was speaking the truth. It was kind of an unspoken thing between her and Sonic, it wasn't any different than the way the hedgehog and Knuckles showed their friendship, or mutual liking Haruhi wasn't entirely sure _what_ to call it but the point was it was just a bunch of harmless banter...for the most part.

"It's no big deal," Sonic assured Tamaki with a blasé hand before the blonde went off on one of his tangents about 'acting like a family' and the like. It was far to early for them to be put asleep again, after all.

"Like it matters," Knuckles spoke up for the first time, and with an unusually mischievous air in his tones that frankly unnerved Haruhi. "I'm sure his _beau _wouldn't approve of it, anyway."

"And I'm sure _yours_ would feel the same way with you spending every second with specks over here," the hedgehog retorted jabbing a thumb towards Kyoya - who barely took notice his (nick)name was mentioned for the first time in a while - then shrugged. "Not that it matters, because Sal' can do what she feels like, you _know_ that," Sonic added with obvious distaste but the echidna just shrugged as a shocked silence filled the room.

_That_ was news to the human portion of the Host Club, though they weren't really as shocked as their expressions made them look. Each of them had seen how the Fuzzies managed to handle the club's many female hosts and, while each of their ways were _unique_, they had to admit when the fuzzy trio got into it they could be "quite the little gentlemen" as Tamaki had put it. The club just guessed that kind of thing was popular in any world, it was just weird to hear that there was actually people out there willing to be the 'other half' to them.

"What are going to do today?" Honey's question snapped the club from their wonder just in time to hear Knuckles' less-than-happy response.

"What do you mean, 'what are we going to do'?" The echidna narrowed his eyes. "Did you forget the whole reason we're here?"

"And have _you_ not noticed the whole reason we're here isn't around here?" Sonic retorted in a not-so-bad impression of the echidna with more sarcasm than grammar but just the right amount of truth.

"There hasn't been anything in the news or paper," Tails explained and held up said newspaper for emphasis.

"Hard to find something when no one's talking about it," the twins' pointed out helpfully with synchronized shrugs. "It's like trying to find a ghost."

The echidna growled, knowing full well they were right but felt that was no excuse to double-check. "Then what else do you suppose we do then? Just sit here?"

"Wait, I have a plan!" Tamaki announced far more loudly than strictly needed and waited for the echoes to die out before saying in pure exhilaration, "Let's go shopping!"

The club fell over in a typical anime style.

"You can't be serious…" Haruhi sweatdropped. "Did you already forget how our _last_ shopping trip went?"

Expecting some blatant rejection from the Fuzzies as well, the club glanced at their extraterrestrial trio only to find they seemed more interested in the view the window offered at the moment. In fact, it looked like they wanted nothing more than to leap out of the pane and head for the hills.

Taking this silence as dismissal of his idea, Tamaki pouted. "But I insist! Think of all the fashionable attire this country has to offer! I bet we could even find something adorable for our fuzzy trio!"

"Sorry, the only one of us that does adorable is Tails," Sonic told him, jabbing a thumb to his adopted little brother. "And he doesn't even have to try."

"On the contrary," Kyoya professed, looking up at the Fuzzies from the rim of his glasses with an expression that suggested that the pure, concentrated canny of the Vice-President was about to come into play. "I'm sure you've heard the popular expression 'clothes make the man', it's a saying that brings in half of this club's success, after all. And, seeing as how the three of you are not only a part of this club but also owe us a debt, one would assume you three would be doing everything you could to repay said debit even if it meant looking 'adorable'."

"And it gets chilly back home too and we wouldn't want you guys to catch a cold, right Takashi?" Honey looked to his cousin for approval and received a silence nod in response.

Sonic shook his head "Nope, I've got better things to do than stand around and be your dress-up doll," he said, not entirely untruthfully (and unintentionally taking Knuckles' response at the same time) as he hopped off the windowsill and made his way to the door, only to have the twins cut him off halfway there holding up their hands in a clear 'stop' signal.

"Oh no, you don't," Kaoru eyed the blue hero in mock disappointment. "Where do you think you're going? We need to stay together and bond like a real family. Why are you trying to break us apart?" he asked in tones that could almost be genuinely morose if it hadn't been for that suspicious gleam in his eye.

"Besides," Hikaru began then dropped his voice down to a whisper that even Kaoru struggled to hear and said with a clear grudge, "I owe you one for yesterday, _pal_."

Sonic scoffed. "Hey, just because you liked-Chris!" Abruptly cutting off, and abruptly confusing the twins, the hedgehog zipped past the duo to the older scientist in the manner of someone who had just seen salvation after being told his intimate doom was near (which, in this case, was in the form of clothes shopping). "Where are _you _heading this fine morning?"

Asked mostly per excuse to avoid this little trip with the club, and with nearly no curiosity behind it, the hedgehog had every intention of following the American on whatever expedition he had planned for that day figuring it had to be better than Tamaki's plan. That, and it would be easier to sneak away with only one person around.

Chris greeted the other hosts in an aside before answering, slightly despondent, "To pick up Helen. I promised her I'd go with her downtown to do some shopping…" He paused, seeing the look on Sonic's face, and raised a curious eyebrow. "Why? Did you want to come?"

_I __had__ to ask…_Sonic groaned inwardly, seeing the unmistakable light of an idea flash in Tamaki's eyes.

"That's perfect! We'd love to come along, Chris!" Tamaki shouted excitedly, scooping up the blue hedgehog on his way to greet their host. He grasped Chris's shoulder and started pushing him towards the front door, chattering exuberantly about what little he knew about Western shopping and urging his club members to follow with a gesture of his hedgie-filled arm. Sonic's face was plastered with a pout, his arms folded tightly around what part of his chest was available over the King's elbow, and the twins laughed openly at his expression, falling into step right behind their blonde leader.

Haruhi sighed and shook her head with a smile as she followed Mori (with Honey giggling on his shoulders) out the front door. _Some things will never change, it seems_, she thought as the whole of the Host Club chattered and waited patiently on the front porch for a limo. She gazed around the front yard of the mansion, still impressed by the size of it, when she thought she saw Hikaru staring at her. He looked away quickly, making the female believe she only imagined it, but Hikaru was sure his brother, who was standing right next to him, could hear his heart beat.

_Get it together_, he thought angrily to himself, even though he laughed loudly at Kaoru's comment. About what, he didn't know, but he knew the tone called for some sort of reaction. He turned to glare at Sonic, who was still firmly stuck in Tamaki's grasp, but he found the hedgie smirking in his direction. _I have half a mind to throw you in a lake_, the twin thought darkly, and when Sonic shrugged, rolling his eyes, he honestly believed the hedgehog could read his mind.

When the limo pulled up, the club all scurried inside, not really paying attention to or caring whom they sat beside. When everyone was settled, Haruhi found herself stuck between Sonic (who was still held fast by Tamaki but complaining that he'd rather walk/run pretty loudly) and Hikaru (who didn't seem to notice her at all). She watched Sonic struggle against Tamaki's grip, who was yelling almost as loudly as the hedgie to stop squirming, until he fell limp in defeat. He glared at the King who merely grinned and then dropped his eyes on Haruhi.

"How do you put up with this guy?" Sonic stage-whispered to her face.

"Practice. Lots of practice." She rolled her eyes and smiled, getting comfortable for the ride. She was ready to sit in silence until a nagging question jumped off her tongue. "Who's Sal?"

Sonic, who was trying his best to stare out the window with a bored expression, suddenly became rigid. He continued staring, but Haruhi could tell there were gears grinding in the hedgehog's head, and she was ready to wait considering those gears probably hadn't been in use for a while. "She's... just some girl," the hedgie finally replied.

"'Just some girl,' huh?" Haruhi repeated, raising an eyebrow in question.

Hikaru leaned over Haruhi then, patting the blue fuzzy on the head. "She your girlfriend, Sonic?" he questioned almost sincerely, if it wasn't for the smirk on his face.

Sonic pushed his hand away with a scowl. "No! ...Not anymore." His green eyes looked downcast, and Haruhi almost felt sorry for the hedgie until Hikaru asked. "Who dumped who?"

"It doesn't matter, twinkletoes. At least I can get a girlfriend _by myself_." His tones seemed harsh, and Haruhi was almost 100% sure the hedgehog would stick his tongue out, but he just closed his eyes, his forehead scrunched in frustration.

The female squinted her eyes in confusion. "What do you mean 'by yourself'?"

Sonic opened one eye to look at her. "Don't worry about it, buttercup. If Mr. Lady Killer over there will stop being so obnoxious, you'll find out soon enough." He then closed his eyes again, his elbow sticking into Tamaki's, and his chin resting in the palm of his hand.

Haruhi heard Hikaru _hmph_ loudly, but before she could turn to give him her confused look, he was already turned towards his brother, and they were laughing about something completely off her train of thought.

When the vehicle came to a stop, everyone rushed out, some out of excitement, and others from irritation. Chris announced that he'd be back shortly because he had to pick up Helen, then practically disappeared in the city traffic. Honey was laughing ecstatically from Mori's shoulders, his arm pointing in every direction, trying to grasp all that America had to offer. "Let's go in that store, Takashi! No, wait, _that _one!"

Tamaki's eyes seemed to fill his whole face as he tried to soak in everything he could with his eyes. His hands covered his face, which allowed Sonic to jump out of the King's arms and shake himself in a very hedgehog-like way before shooting His Majesty a death glare. "This is all so exciting, don't you think?" he announced to no one in particular. He grabbed Haruhi's hand and dragged her to the nearest shop window, his finger jabbing into the glass with so much force, she was sure it would crack. "That would look absolutely darling on you, Haruhi. Let's go inside!"

The female felt herself cringe at the image of herself in the dress from the shop window. Not only was way too frilly, but she was sure it was meant for something like a formal dance or something ridiculous like that, and she would never be able to wear it if she was stuck as a host for the rest of her life. She groaned as the bell above the door tinkled to announce their entrance, and Tamaki dragged her to the back of the store, the rest of the Host Club following suit. Tamaki found the dress in Haruhi's size (much to the female's dismay), shoved it in her arms and stuffed her into a changing room.

"You two! Stay here while I look for more adorable dresses for Haruhi!" she heard him shout, then "Yes, boss!" from the twins. She could imagine the redheads saluting and rushing to the changing room door with serious faces, and sighed. _Guess I can't run out of this one_.

"Hurry up, princess! We haven't got all day!" Sonic mused; she could hear him tapping his foot on the plush carpet which made her roll her eyes. After tons of struggle (especially with the zipper) she managed to get the dress on the right way. Her reflection looked a bit flushed, though she was sure that was only because of how flustering putting on the dress was. She tried to push the frill from the skirt down just a tad, but it wouldn't give, so with a sigh she stepped out of the dressing room, if only to please Tamaki enough to make this a one-time thing.

The Host Club fell silent. Haruhi wasn't sure what they were staring at, but she was pretty certain it was because they thought she looked ridiculous 'cause she sure felt ridiculous.

Honey was the first to speak. "Haru-chan! You look amazing! Doesn't she, Takashi?"

"Yeah," the usually silent giant uttered, which made Honey's smile take over his face.

Then Haruhi heard Sonic wolf-whistle from across the store, and with a gust of air, he was among the group. "You girl up nicely." He gave her a thumbs up before turning to Hikaru. "Doesn't she, twinkletoes?"

"Uh..." Hikaru managed until his brother elbowed him in the ribs. He was pretty preoccupied with making sure his heart didn't burst from his chest.

"Brilliant, as always," Knuckles grunted from behind the twins before Kyoya said, "Yes, that dress is very fitting on you. Tamaki made a good choice."

Haruhi felt the need to roll her eyes, but resisted with all her might. "Okay, thanks. I'm gonna go change back."

"But Tamaki hasn't seen yet!" Tails interjected with his ability to state the obvious.

"Oh, well, looks like he missed out," the female muttered before closing the dressing room door behind her. She tugged the dress off and threw it on the floor unceremoniously, fighting the urge to step on it. She refused to let Tamaki see her in it and have him feel the need to buy it for her. It would probably add more to her debt, and she definitely didn't need that. She put her clothes on quickly, draped the rumpled dress over her arm and stomped out the dressing room to Tamaki's crying face. "Why'd you change, Haruhi?" he whined.

"I don't need a dress, senpai," she explained exasperatingly. She hung the dress on the hanger outside the dressing room door and followed the rest of the club out the store, Tamaki complaining at her heels.

The rest of the day went pretty much the exact same way, only Haruhi was replaced with the fuzzy trio. Tamaki had so many custom-made suits and outfits sewn for the little aliens, their arms were overflowing with bags and boxes of different sizes. It was barely lunchtime when Knuckles lost his cool.

"That's _enough_!" he shouted, practically tossing his share of packages on the ground. "I'm sick of being treated like you people's show dog!"

Tamaki looked genuinely hurt at the echidna's words, but the mole's glare didn't waver. His Majesty tried to smile and explained, "But, Knuckles, my dear friend, we're only trying to-"

"To make us look ridiculous?" The echidna burrowed a fist into his pile and pulled out a cute, little chef outfit that Tamaki bought especially for the red fuzzy. "There is no way in_ hell _I am ever wearing this." And with that, he tossed it on the ground. Tamaki's face fell, and Haruhi felt her heart squeeze. She was used to turning his ridiculous antics down, but never that harshly. It was almost cruel.

The female noticed Sonic prep himself to say something, but Kyoya beat him to it. "Knuckles, please don't be so rude. You're disrupting the peace." And in response, the echidna merely _hmph_ed and folded his arms tightly.

Sonic laughed shortly and placed his pile on the ground much more carefully than his mole companion. "Lighten up, Knucklehead, it could be worse," he figured, then cupped his jaw thoughtfully. "Though I have to admit getting us the uniforms _was _a bit much."

"Nonsense!" Tamaki protested, thinking his idea to get the Fuzzies custom Ouran High School uniforms had been a stroke of pure genius...but he was just about the _only_ one. "After all, if we're going to be an Ouran High School Host Club then we must proudly support our school and everything it stands for!" The blonde finished with as much exhilaration as one giving a particularly invigorating speech.

"Like bad fashion?" Knuckles asked in sub-zero tones

The twins scoffed. "Like _you_ would know anything about that." They said in a way that didn't have as much harm as it did truth. Even they had to admit that the uniforms were bland compared to some of the other schools but seeing as how they couldn't really do much about it they dealt with it.

"Well, I thought they looked adorable," Helen said, mostly to break the tension that had built up. "Don't you think so Chris?"

Chris, who had been purposely standing behind Helen in the likely case of Knuckles sending his pile of bags airborne looked unsure but nodded anyway. "I guess so...sure," he said awkwardly, thinking it rather odd for one guy to call three more '_adorable'_, fuzzy aliens or not.

Knuckles just rolled his eyes (and grumbled something about the ten of them looking like some kind of reverse harem), realizing this was a fight he couldn't win without some broken bones and possible lawsuits. "Are we done here?" He asked, not bothering to make himself sound like he was enjoying this.

"Yes," Tamaki replied and the echidna dared to get his hopes up, only to have them abruptly crushed when the blonde continued with, "Now on to the next store!" And the King scooped up the grumpy red Fuzzie like he weighed next to nothing and darted out of the building, leaving behind a trail of smoke.

At a more relaxed pace followed the remainder of the Host Club, Chris and Helen after dropping off their newly bought objects in the limo. With the way Tamaki was going they'd be lucky to fit in the vehicle after he was finished and chances are he'd run out of money long before he ran out of energy. As they walked down the path to the next building (which Haruhi couldn't help but notice was some kind of electronics store and wondered just what use they club had to go in there), the twins suddenly asked, "So, what's Knuckster's girlfriend like?"

"You guys are just full of personal questions today, aren't cha?" Sonic asked, bemused. "Guess we really are getting to know each other, _finally. _We should've done this Q and A thing sooner, could have saved us a lot of drama." The hedgehog continued and grinned when the twins rolled their eyes.

"But Julie-Su is a nice person, " Tails said to answer the question hanging in the air. A part of him was relieved at the non-fuzzy hosts curiosity, after all the bad things that had happened between the Fuzzies and Host Club he was glad to see them all acting more friendly, like him and Honey were, though the young fox never really understood why they hated each other in the first place (well, despite the events in Okinawa). He gave up trying after a while, figuring it was just a clash of personalities.

"And that's nice in the sense that Knuckles is cuddly," Sonic clarified. "The girl can definitely hold her own and is one hell of a marksman, I'm just glad she's on _our_ side."

"So in other words," the twins began with identical smiles, already finding unlimited material to bug the echidna with later. "They're a perfect match."

"Precisely," the hedgehog mused.

"She's not _that_ bad," Tails told everyone else before they got the wrong idea, while wondering if it really mattered since they would never meet her but at the same time not wanting them to think the echidna was dating some psycho assassin.

"What about you, Tails?" Honey asked the fox in a raised voice as they entered the next building full of kids, adults and even more electronic sounds. "Do you have a-"

"No." Both fox and hedgehog answered bluntly, glancing at each other in the way of two who knew very well the reason but weren't about to elaborate on why (though the twins made a mental note to prod the subject later).

Confused but realizing his question had been answered nonetheless, Honey turned his attention to the many gadgets lining the walls and counters in the store. Anything from giant televisions, phones and several other things the club couldn't tell apart from the others, minus Tails who was as happy as a kid in a candy store, filled the store and that, coupled with the people, practically made it impossible for the club not to bump into strangers. Which is why it was no big surprise when Sonic ran into a fellow store-dweller.

"Sorry, my bad," the hedgie apologized automatically, looking up to meet the bright blue eyes of a man that he could only assume was around the same age as Chris' parents, if not a tad older, with a rather scruffy appearance and bearing a black cane, with a bright flame design on the lower half of it, in one hand which the man was obviously using as support, not just looks (though it could have fooled the blue hero).

Getting a good look at _who_ had just ran into him, the man smiled in a way best put as the kind of smile you never want to see aimed your way in a dark alley with a definite twinkle in his eyes. "Wow...you're a _lot _smaller in person, somehow I imagined you a bit taller...and more menacing," he added after a short, thoughtful pause. "Somehow the short, fuzzy thing kills the whole evil alien stereotype we've gotten accustom to, gotta say I'm disappointed."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Sonic said, though he'd never heard such a statement in his life.

"Oops, where are my manners?" The man said in a way that sounded horribly rehearsed and more sarcastic then strictly necessary making the only hosts who could understand English believe this guy had something up his sleeve. That or he was just naturally prickly. "The name's Gregory House."

"_Doctor_ Gregory House?" Chris questioned, making the name sound both threatening and amazing at the same time.

"_The_ Dr. House?" Helen sounded just as, if not more, shocked then Chris. "From Princeton?"

"Did the cane give it away?" House raised a quizzical eyebrow as he idly swung the cane in a complete circle at his side. "'Cause it does that sometimes."

The other club members looked at each other completely puzzled as to who this guy was, besides a possible loon. Seeing this, Chris decided to explain. "Gregory House is one of, if not the, best diagnostic specialists in the country, and currently working at the Princeton Plainsboro Hospital in New Jersey. While his methods are, um, _questionable_ there's no doubt that he's one of the best doctors the world over." When he finished the expressions on the hosts' faces hadn't changed much but they made a clear attempt to seem interested.

"So..." Sonic began slowly, not entirely sure what to make of this so-called doctor figure. "What are you doing here? Last time I checked the hospital's down the other way."

"Who wouldn't come to see tiny earth-saving aliens?" House asked like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I have a heighten sense of curiosity as any one of my colleges can very well vouch for but, since I'm not a cat, it's not fatal so I came here to find another means of slowly killing myself. _That_ and my medical curiosity has recently expanded towards the alien variety." He added, looking at said creatures with an innocent expression, though his eyes said something else entirely. Something that made the Fuzzies feel inclined to take a few steps back. "I don't suppose you guys need a doctor?"

"No thanks. We're good." Knuckles' voice rejected from behind the club, where he and Tamaki now stood. Or rather the echidna was standing and Tamaki was eyeing him rather apprehensively while fretting that the mole would take out his frustrations on this stranger.

Looking at House with an air of suspicion, The King took in the doctor's appearance before suddenly gasping louder than anyone thought possible. "My fellow club members, don't you know what this guy is?" Tamaki said in hushed tones of awe and Haruhi was just about to ask how in the world the blonde knew about the guy when he suddenly said in pure excitement, "He's a real live hobo! I thought they only existed on television!"

If the look on Tamaki's face that followed the rest of the group suddenly bursting into hysterics was anything to go by, it hadn't been quite the reaction the blonde expected and resulting expression on House's face (something between confusion, due to the face he didn't understand Japanese, and offense) didn't help in the least. When finally they managed to control themselves it was Kyoya who spoke first, seeing a possible future alliance between his family and this doctor's hospital at risk while around the club.

"If you'll excuse us, Dr. House, we have to get going. We have other affairs to attend to." And with that said, the vice president made a pushing direction to the door that the rest of the club gladly obeyed, though Chris and Helen seemed a bit reluctant to leave. After all it wasn't everyday you ran into a medical genius at an electronics store, no matter how much of an oddball they seem to be. Besides, there was something in the grin that found its way to the doctor's face as they left that said this wouldn't be the last time they saw him.

Luckily, none of the hosts noticed that last part due to the fact half of them had voiced their hunger and were now debating on where and what to eat.

"How about that Japanese place we saw on the drive here?" the twins suggested, arms looped together. "It looked pretty fancy."

"And expensive!" the King nearly shouted.

The twins each raised an eyebrow at the other and turned to Tamaki. "Yeah, that's kind of what we were going for, boss."

The blonde club leader grabbed them by their shoulders and pushed them until they were kneeling along with him. "You guys know Haruhi can't afford anything that fancy. Are you_ trying _to embarrass her?" he whispered harshly.

"How is that an different than all those dresses you made her try on?" Hikaru whispered back.

Tamaki looked offended. "That's totally different!"

Haruhi glared at them, obviously able to hear what they were saying very clearly.

"Sure, boss," the twins mused, standing up. "Why don't we let Haruhi decide then?" they asked, each wrapping an arm around the female in question.

"I really don't care where we go," she muttered, annoyed.

"How about some fast food?" Sonic suggested.

Knuckles scoffed. "Imagine that. The hedgehog wants something fast."

The hedgie shot a glare at the echidna, but turned to the human portion of the club with a shrug. "I'm just sayin'. It's cheap and quick, and I bet the lot of you haven't had McDonald's in your life."

Haruhi quickly glanced at Kyoya, but he didn't seem to be paying any attention as he scribbled in his little notebook. Not that that was a surprise.

"What's a McDonald's?" Honey asked, genuinely curious, but Mori's only response was a shrug.

Tamaki shot to the hedgie's side much faster than anyone would've guessed possible and gripped the blue fuzzy tightly. "You are so smart, Sonic! Yes! Let's go enjoy the poor man delicacies! I've read all about these places and have always wanted to try their boogers!" He started parading down the street, everyone else falling into step.

"I think you mean 'burgers,'" Sonic struggled to say, trying to free himself from the King's vice-like grip. The twins chuckled, watching the blue fuzzy try to escape, until he was finally successful.

After a couple blocks of following Tamaki blindly, Chris finally took the lead, considering he actually knew where the nearest fast-food establishment was. "Are you sure you want to eat here?" he asked Tamaki, holding the door open for His Majesty. "There are much finer places all over town." But the blonde was too excited to answer and ran through the door at full speed. He stopped in the middle of the restaurant, gazing admiringly all around him and catching a few peoples' attentions as well. When the rest of the gang made it in, he turned to Chris and asked, pointing at the line that was formed at the front counter, "What are they standing around for? Should we have made a reservation?"

Sonic snorted, and Helen giggled. Haruhi just rolled her eyes.

Tamaki looked bewildered as Chris took his shoulder with a slight smile on his face. "Don't worry about it, buddy. I got this. You guys go find a booth or something."

There wasn't exactly a booth in the tiny food establishment that could fit their whole group, so they took a few little tables and put them together and arranged themselves as they saw fit. They chattered amongst themselves until Chris arrived with a little slip of paper. "Guess they're pretty busy. Listen up for number 57, guys."

"57? We'll be here all day!" Tamaki yelped from behind his fingers.

"Number 54, your order is ready." The voice on the intercom interrupted the quiet muzak, and Chris translated patiently. "Our food will be ready in no time," he explained to the worried blonde who immediately smiled triumphantly.

"You'll be biting into one of your boogers in no time, boss," the twins chimed to which The King squealed excitedly.

The group continued chattering aimlessly about anything that came to mind when Haruhi noticed someone familiar hobble to a table next to them and open a newspaper. Dr. House took a seat in a booth across from Haruhi, and if he noticed her staring at him in confusion, he didn't make it known.

Haruhi turned to Kaoru who was sitting at her right and asked, "Isn't that the man we just ran into at the electronics store?"

Kaoru glanced in the direction Haruhi pointed and shrugged. "Maybe," he muttered, then turned back to his brother. Haruhi continued to scrutinize the cripple but tried to be discreet. That is, until Tamaki noticed she wasn't paying attention to his talking.

"Haruhi, what _are_ you looking at?" When the blonde spotted the doctor, he gasped loudly. "It's the hobo!" He pointed at Dr. House who looked up at the large group with a face covered with faux confusion. He pointed at himself and asked in Japanese, "Who, _me_?"

"Dr. House?" Chris and Helen chimed.

"I thought he couldn't speak Japanese," Honey questioned, cocking his head to the side.

Dr. House folded his newspaper and placed it on the table in front of him. "On the contrary, little boy, I _pretended_ I couldn't speak Japanese. Something someone your age should be familiar with."

"Well, why would you _pretend _you couldn't speak Japanese then, doctor?" Haruhi asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I didn't want to come off as all-knowing since, y'know, I'm already a pretty impressive doctor," House explained as if it were obvious.

Hikaru snorted. "Okay, whatever. Why'd you follow us then?"

"Come to try one of the famous boogers?" Kaoru questioned with a grin.

"Oh, no. I'm not hungry," the doctor replied, reopening his newspaper.

The group gave each other confused glances until House laughed out loud which gave the majority of them a start. "That Garfield," House laughed. "No matter how many times he hates Monday, it always comes creeping up on him."

Sonic zipped up to the doctor's booth and pushed the top of his paper down with a couple fingers. "Why you following us, doc?"

House raised an eyebrow at the curious blue fuzzy and pulled his newspaper from the hedgehog's reach. "Oh, I thought you'd like to eat before I tell you one of your other fuzzy friends is rather sick. Wouldn't want you to lose your appetite. Three squares a day, if you know what I'm saying."

The three fuzzies' ears perked up. "What? Who?" Sonic and Tails asked simultaneously.

"How do you know? Visited Mobius lately?" Knuckles sneered.

House's face looked as if he was deep in thought then turned to the blue and yellow fuzzies. "Who? I think her name was Sammy or Susie or something. She was brown, so maybe it was Brownie." He shrugged, then he turned to Knuckles. "No, Mobius seems too colorful for my tastes from the looks of you, but your friends are around here somewhere. Just saw them a few hours ago. Why else would I be _here_?" And with that, he returned to his funnies.

It was silent around the table for a moment, and the background muzak seemed like it was being played from a boom box on full blast.

"Number 57, your order is ready."

No one moved for a while, in fact it wasn't until the intercom repeated itself five times that Kyoya and Mori got up and got the food, whether to shut the intercom up or because they where hunger no one knew. Left at the table, Haruhi couldn't help but glance in Sonic's direction where the hedgie looked deep in thought and slightly worried. While Haruhi wasn't sure if the doctor was telling the truth or not, a part of her hoped he had mostly due to the fact she was curious to see the female part of the Fuzzie's world.

Knuckles and Tails looked from Sonic to each other before sighing. "Five, four three, two-" Both echidna and fox where cut off as the hedgehog abruptly hopped from the table and ran to House, practically jumping on the table in his haste.

"You're coming with me," Sonic told him, grabbing the doctor and disappearing through the doors faster than anyone had expected him to move dragging a middle-aged man behind him (and a crippled one at that).

"Well...That was interesting." The twins stated, trying their best _not _to look interested when the truth of the matter was their curiosity was seconded only by Haruhi's.

"Do you think we should follow them?" Helen looked to Chris, who simply shrugged.

When no one else seemed much inclined to answer, Honey asked, "But what if that doctor was right? What if one of your friends _is_ here a sick?" He looked to Tails but before the fox could answer, Chris stood up.

"I'll go." Chris figured he might as well, seeing as how Mobian civilians tended to take to him.

Not surprisingly, Tails stood up as well. "I'll go too." And the two left, leaving the Host Club and Knuckles in a very tense silence considering this was the first time they'd been left with the grumpy mole for a while.

"So..." The twins looked at the echidna quizzically. "What makes you so sure Dr. Crazy wasn't telling the truth?"

"I didn't say I wasn't." Knuckles corrected sharply. "But for your sake you'd better hope it's not true."

"And why would that be?" Kyoya asked as he and Mori returned, placing the food on the table and taking their seats, not acknowledging the scene that just took place (or the fact most eyes in the building were now focused on their table).

Knuckles looked at Helen, unsure how to describe the problem himself (science was never his bag) and the blonde nodded. "Well, you see..." She began, trying her best to dumb it down. "Basically, because Earth and Mobius used to be one planet if things from one planet keep passing to the other, time won't be able to coop and will eventually stop all together."

"It's what almost happened last time, and if more of us are getting transported to this world thing's are getting bad." Knuckles considered for a second, then shrugged. "The only good thing about it is now we _have _to find the emeralds now so we can go back."

"But that's just _if_." The twins pointed out, not really enjoying the "time will stop' point of that explanation. "Besides, we only have three more to find. Then you guys can split and we can finally get on with our lives."

Knuckles snorted but made no further comment. Truth be told, as of right this second, he couldn't imagine anything better than being back home. He had had just about all he could handle of these kids and their spoiled-rich drama. In a way, a part of him wished that the others had been transported here, at least then he'd at least have Julie-Su to keep him sane.

Meanwhile, one doctor and the hedgehog, currently dragging him down the sidewalk, pushed passed the crowd of people gathered downtown without so much as a second glance.

"Just around this corner," House pointed to the nearest corner as best he could considering one hand was on his cane and the other in the hedgie's grip. They turned, rather abruptly, right into a dead end alleyway and stopped. "They _were _here. I swear on my word as an honorable doctor." House promised when Sonic turned a furtive look to him.

"Ri-ight..." The hedgehog rolled his eyes and tapped his chin thoughtfully, looking around the alley for some clue before setting his eyes on the roof. "Hmm..." He cocked his head to one side before figuring _'what the heck, it's worth a shot' _and jumping to the top in one clear leap. Three seconds later, he found a rather miffed echidna in his face armed with a handy little weapon.

"Sonic?" The echidna, Julie-Su, lowered the weapon slightly as she eyed the blue hedgehog suspiciously. "Is that you?" It was obvious from the way she said it she didn't expect anything less but Sonic had never known her to be the kind to risk anything. It was just one of the ways she was perfect for his grumpy-red friend. Julie-Su, commonly called 'Su by most people, was one of the very few female echidnas that bothered to show their faces around Mobius. Next to her more magenta-than-most colour and tougher-than-nails attitude, Julie-Su was also well known (or feared) for her unusual mechanical appendages, including one dreadlock and almost her whole left arm.

Sonic folded his arms, tapping one foot impatiently. "Of course it's me, you guys _have_ been following us around half the day after all." He said knowingly, though there were quite a few questions that were left unanswered.

"You knew zat and you didn't bother to _tell_ us?" The only other male one roof, Antoine, asked in his typical Freglish accent, sounding rather displeased. Then again, hardly anything ever managed to please the once paranoid and lily-livered coyote. When he wasn't shaking in his fancy boots, Antoine would spend most of his time fretting about this and that in the past. Most considered it a blessing that he had managed to almost break his paranoid habits over the years and become quite a skilled swordsman, though his tendency to ramble about anything concerning himself still hung strong.

"Hey, I tried to get away from our wealthy tag-alongs earlier but..." The hedgehog just settled for a shrug. "They're not the easiest people to avoid, trust me."

"Well, Ah'm glad yo're here, Sugarhog." A heavily accented rabbit, Bunnie, said earnestly. Like Julie-Su, Bunnie also bore mechanical parts, however, unlike the echidna, Bunnie's entire bottom half and left arm were made of a slicker metal. Usually seen in her trademark cowgirl hat, Bunnie was kind-hearted and an excellent fighter who always put herself before others. Which is why it surprised most people to learn that she and Antoine were married. "We're at a lost as tah wat's wrong with her." Bunnie's green eyes passed over the last of the roof-dwellers, currently propped up against the edge of the railing and looking very much ill.

"Sal'?" Sonic walked over and lowered himself to eye-level with the female. He knew too well the effects of time/space travel, especially for first-timers (heck, he still got lightheaded when it happened to him), and could sympathize with her. While Sally was pretty strong-willed, more by forced experience than anything, she still had her weak moments and being sick was one of those.

Sally looked at him and smiled lightly. "How do you manage to do this all the time?"

"Practice." Sonic said, simply, returning the gesture.

"Looks like the doctor was right," Tails said from behind the group with Chris hanging on to his wrists as the two landed on the roof. The fox greeted the others before looking at his big brother questioningly, receiving a shrug in response.

Chris looked around the roof, both in fascination and confusion at the new arrivals before remembering the reason he had come in the first place. "So..." He looked to where Sally was getting to her feet. "Is she going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine." Sally assured with more effort than anyone really knew, though she made a mental note to _never_ go towards any mysterious light ever again.

"So now what?" Julie-Su asked, hands on hips and looking less than pleased at Chris' friendliness. "Do you expect us to stay up here all day?"

"Not at all," Sonic replied, waving a hand through the air. "You guys can come with us."

"An' where is that?" Bunnie asked, sounding somewhat suspicious.

"Back to the Host Club." Tails said without really thinking about the details, realizing his mistake a second later when the new arrivals looked puzzled. "Um..." Tails tried to explain but looked to Sonic for help.

"Basically, it's a bunch of rich kids with too much money and time on their hands. It's a long story." The hedgehog added when the looks turned on him and gestured for them to follow him to the edge of the roof. "It's something you have to see for yourself."

The new arrivals looked at each other, none to thrilled about having such little details about this 'Host Club' but knowing Sonic wouldn't lead them into trouble (usually). Without bothering to ask anymore questions, figuring they'd find out soon enough what the heck was going on, the new Fuzzies followed the others off the roof and back towards the place where they'd meet the infamous Host Club.

Meanwhile, back on the ground, House rolled his eyes as he watched the others walk away. "'Good-bye' is finally a thing of the past, it seems." He told no one in particular and walked/limped back towards the hospital.

When the majority of the Fuzzies (old and new) and Chris made their way back to McDonald's, the Host Club (and Helen) were waiting outside. Tamaki was talking louder than was probably necessary, and it was a miracle that Haruhi could tume him out so well now.

"Where are they? That hobo kidnapped them! Whatever will we do?" His Majesty sobbed into his sleeve, gripping Haruhi around the shoulders with his free arm.

In the process of rolling her eyes, the female spotted the blue hedgehog, but before she said anything, she double-checked who or what he was talking to. Then she groaned internallty. _'More fuzzy aliens? Well, at least some of them are normal colors...'_

As she turned to tell Tamaki the hopping good news, the blonde king spotted the group as they crossed the street. Tails hovered over to Honey who was sitting comfortably on Mori's shoulders licking an ice cream cone. When he noticed the fox, however, the ice cream was quickly forgotted as he hugged Tails with a giggle explaining how the buns on the boogers were a little dry.

"Where have you been?" Tamaki pointed at Sonic who gave him a confused look.

Ignoring the club leader's ignorance, the little brown Fuzzy standing behind Sonic cleared her throat and stepped forward.

"Hi, I'm Sally Acorn. You must be this 'Host Club' we've heard so much about." She smiled up at them politely, nodding her head slightly to each othe the hosts in turn. A little taked aback, the group nodded back without a word.

After a bit of awkward pause that the fuzzy princess didn't seem to expect, she turned to the rest of her fuzzy friends and began introducing them. She gestured to the little rabbit in a cowboy hat. "Bunnie D'Coolete." Bunnie tipped her hat with a "How do yah do?"

Sally turned to the coyote in a little military outfit. "Antione D'Coolete." The coyote bowed a bit at the waist and said, "'Allo."

"And Juile-Su." The pink echidna nodded curtly with a seemingly grim expression until she noticed Knuckles perk up that the sound of her name. They met eyes, and a smile creeped on both their faces.

But their moment was interrupted when Tamaki squealed like a little school girl and gripped Antione's and Bunnie's hands. "D'Coolete? You must be French!"

"Oui."

"Nah."

The married couple answered simultaniously and smiled at each other.

"Zat ees to say, I am, and she eez not."

"Ah guess ah am though, sugah. By marriage anywho."

The smile on Tamaki's face could've lit up all of San Francisco. Maybe even all of California. He jabbered something in French that no one but Antione seemed to understand. The coyote lit up instantly and responded in the same language.

The rest of the group just gazed at the duo with a sort of uncomfortable expression as the two laughed joyously at something only they understood.

"So, anyways," Chris started. "Are you guys hungry? We just got some food."

"Speaking of, here's yours." The twins handed the group that left their bags and wiped their hands on their pants. "Not the cleanest food, those boogers," they chimed, grinning at each other.

Sonic shrugged, grabbed a handful of fries which were now cold, and shoved them in his mouth. After a pause, he offered the bag to Sally who shook her head vigorously, covering her mouth.

The twins were whispering between themselves, watching the two interact. "That has to be _the_ 'Sal,'" Kaoru observed as Sonic unwrapped his burger and ate half of it in one bit then offering the rest to the fuzzy princess who gave the hedgehog a look of disgust and shook her head.

"Well, whaddya know. Must be fate," Hikaru muttered with a sly grin. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

His twin mirrored his smile. "This is going to be a fun game." They both laughed quietly while the plotted unbeknownst to the rest of the club.

Chris went back inside the McDonald's to get some bread and water for Sally who was looking greener by the second.

"Where'd the doctor guy go?" Haruhi asked Sonic who looked up at her, his mouth full of fries.

He swallowed loudly and shrugged. "Heck if I know."

"We didn't get to thank him," Tails pointed out, some ketchup dripping from his chin from his burger.

Haruhi grimaced as she watched Sonic finish his burger in another huge bits. "That's too bad. I might need a doctor soon."

"Hey, it's no chili dog, but it ain't half bad," Sonic explained with a full mouth.

Haruhi and Sally both winced then caught eyes. Sally smiled and extended her little arm. "You must be Haruhi."

Haruhi shook her hand gently. "Is it that obvious?"

Bunnie giggles from beside Sally. "Ol' sugahog over there told us everything about y'all. But ah'm sure y'all ain't as bad as he makes y'all out ta be." She extended her arm to Haruhi, and they shook hands. The human female smiled, but it vanished as soon as she noticed the rabbit's legs. Noticing Haruhi's concerned look, Bunnie knocked on one of her roboticized legs like she would a door, and it gave off a dull ring. "Fancy, huh?"

Haruhi was without words and stuttered before uttering, "They're shiny."

Bunnie laughed. "It's alright, darlin'. They ain't all bad."

"How'd that happen?" Honey asked from Mori's shoulders. "Your legs, I mean."

Julie-Su finally spoke from behind Sally. "It's a long story." Her eyes flashed along with her roboticized dread lock.

"Maybe another time, hon." Bunnie smiled up at Honey who smiled back with a "Kay!"

Chris came back with the bread and water, and Sally nibbled on it slowly as they all walked back to where they would meet the limo.

"You all know what this means, don't you?" Tamaki exclaimed, his arms outstretched.

The gang all gave each other puzzled looks and looked back to His Majesty for an explanation.

"Another shopping spree!"

Pretty much everyone groaned.

"Boss, give out feet some time to heal from this trip!" the twins whined with a glint in their eyes.

Tamaki pouted. "But our new guests need new clothes! Look at what they're wearing!"

The new recruits looked down at their attire. They never though much about how their clothes looked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Julie-Su asked, and something in her voice stopped Tamaki from actually answering her. Haruhi raised her eyebrows at the little pink creature, impressed.

"At least they wear more than these guys," Hikaru said, jabbing a thumb at the original Fuzzy trio.

Sonic shrugged. "Clothes get in the way," he said matter-of-factly.

"And they're itchy," Tails pointed out, scratching his fuzzy cheek.

"And more shoppping isn't in out budget," Kyoya finally spoke.

Tamaki pouted and folded his arms tightly, muttering to himself like a four year old.

"We should just find the rest of the emeralds and leave," Knuckles suggested with a scowl, his teeth clenched.

"That sounds like the best idea," Julie-Su added with a nod.

"And you guys have a time limit, right?" Haruhi added, remembering the confusing explanation of different dimensions and whatnot.

Sonic nodded. "If this is anything like last time, the sooner we find the emeralds, the better."

Haruhi noticed Chris' face become slightly crestfalled for an instant, but it disappeared so soon, she thought she imagined it. Not that it really mattered to her. She mentally shrugged it off.

The chatter continued in about the same way until the limo arrived to take them all home. The gang all shuffled inside, ready to finally take a break from walking and stalking around and to just relax at their temporary home.

When they arrived, they all hopped out the limo and up the front steps and headed for their rooms before Tamaki shouted for them all to stop.

Everyone froze where they were and turned to His Majest, his face stern. "Don't you think we should all get to know out new fuzzy roommates?"

The hosts and new fuzzies all glanced at each other before turning back to Tamaki. "No, not really," they all said.

Tamaki's face fell until another thought came to mind. "Well, where are our new fuzzies going to sleep?"

"There are enough rooms," the twins shouted from the top of the stairs. After a short pause, they turned to Chris and asked, "Aren't there?"

Chris thought for a moment. "Um... no. You guys have all the guest rooms occupied. You're not exactly a small group."

Tamaki squeaked in excitement as he clapped his hands together in a thoughtful manner. "Then it looks like we have no choice but to share!" The blonde paused for all of two seconds before announcing that, for the time being, the male and females would spilt up and decide from there who would pair up and take which rooms, with Bunnie and Antoine being a possible exception.

As the larger group headed upstairs…or perhaps _headed_ was too calm a word. Instead, the twins immediatey claimed: "last ones at the top are rotten eggs!" and the guys in their entirety (except Kyoya, of course) stampeded up the stairs without looking back and nearly tripping over each othr in the chaos. Had one of them taken the time to even glance back they would hav seen the shocked expressions on the girls and Bunnie shake her head.

"_Men_." She sighed, though there was a slight amusement in her voice. "They're the same 'n any world."

Haruhi looked at her. "You have _no_ idea…" she muttered, feeling rather awkward about being left alone with complete fuzzie strangers and yet somewhat relieved at the change of faces. "At least not _yet_." She added.

"So tell us, Haruhi…" Julie-Su began, looking up at the host curiously. "How did you end up with this club?"

Haruhi laughed sheepishly, trying to ignore the slight intimadation she she got from the echidna. "Well…It's a long story…"

"Do tell." Sally told her, generally interested.

Bunnie nodded in agreement. "We got nothin' better tah do, afta all."

_True…_ Haruhi thought then figured she might as well since they'd find out eventually anyway.

So she did. Telling them everything that came from her trying to find a quiet place to study one day, finding the Host Club instead and shattering a priceless vase. She told them about her first days as an offical host and the antics that came with them, about her first encounter with a true Otaku (who was currently on vacation back home in Frace and showed no signs of returning soon), Lobelia, the events in Karuizawa and the first encounters with the original Fuzzie trio. By the time she finished, and the four of them had moved into the living room, Haruhi noticed a new fascination in her listeners' eyes.

"A-mazin'." Bunnie remarked when Haruhi finished. "Ah dunno how ya managed tah survive so long, Sweetheart."

"Especially with that blonde, Tamaki, was it?" Julie-Su said sounding as though she pitied Haruhi, who could have laughed at how much she sounded like Knuckles had she not been afraid the echidna would take it the wrong way. "He seems like a piece of work."

"This whole club seems like a piece of work," Sally said evenly though a small smile was on her face as she rested her head on her palm. "Still, it amazes me you got Sonic and the others to actually _host_."

"They didn't really have a choice," Haruhi replied simply as Bunnie let out a short laugh.

"Ah bet they're naturals. Well, at least Sugahog ought tah be considerin' his female popularity back home." Bunnie turned a furtive look to Sally. "But we all know who he cares fo' most."

Sally just huffed and turned her head pointingly, but not enough that the others couldn't see the blush that appeared on her face. Haruhi rolled her eyes while wondering how anyone could actually stand being with the hedgehog and vise versa before remembering the hedgie's reactions from earlier in the day whenever Sally had been mentioned. Haruhi wondered if she should bother to ask about them, then decided against it. It was none of her business, after all.

It didn't matter, because Bunnie saw the look in the female's eyes and decided to explain. "It's terrible, really," she started, too dramatically to be genuine. "The two of 'em were perfect fo' each other but the trouble started when Sally—"

"Bunnie!" Sally interrupted, abashed.

The country-belle raised an eyebrow at the princess. "Well, Sally-girl, either you tell it or Ah will. But Ah ain't gonna be tah blame for my point-a view."

Sally opened her mouth to retort, then closed it and sighed.

Julie-Su clicked her tongue. "The point of view on the whole thing is the same, Hon," she explained to Haruhi, who had been followed with a puzzled look. "Basically, it was a misunderstanding that lead to them splitting up, a misunderstanding on Sally's part but it was _both_ their faults things got so complicated."

Bunnie laughed. "Love is _complicated._ Ah can't even begin to count how many times me an' Antoine hit hard times 'n the past, but now look at us." She held up her cybernetic hand to reveal her gold wedding band. "We're happily married. Love wasn't meant tah be easy, if it was then it wouldn't be so magnificent."

"Exactly." Sally nodded at the last part before folding her arms and glaring at her friends, who just grinned back at her. "Besides, I'm perfectly fine with being _single_."

The other to females rolled their eyes but didn't argue anymore, knowing Sally would deny how she really felt the whole time. After a short silence, each of the new Fuzzie's eyes turned and focused on Haruhi, who just stared back blankly.

"Well, Haruhi…" Bunnie eyed the brunette slyly, her emerald eyes narrowed and twinkling. "What about _you_?"

Haruhi blinked "What about me?"

"Don't _you_ have anyone special?" Sally filled in. "There's no way you can hang around all those guys and _not_ feel anything towards any of them."

As each of them stared the host down, Haruhi was just about to say that this conversation had made a dramatic turn to cliché girl talk when memories of the night before filled her head. Hikaru, the carnival, the rollercoaster, her new stuffed panda (currently sitting on the bed in her borrowed room) and then that dumb song that she still couldn't make heads or tails of…

_Gitchee Gitchee Goo…_

Haruhi mentally shook her head and told herself to forget it. "No," she answered at last, albeit somewhat hastily. "We're all close enough to practically be family. I don't consider any of them anything more than brothers and I'm sure they think the same." _Well, except Tamaki…_She added in her head.

Julie-Su tilted her head inquiringly. "So you don't think _any_ of them might think of you as more than just a sister?"

"No," Haruhi said, shaking her head before remembered what a certain blue pest had said on the way back from their chaotic trip in Okinawa.

'_In case you haven't noticed or are just completely oblivious, these guys all adore you. Why, I've no idea, but none of them want to say anything…'_

…Then, there had been that other time not to long after too, hadn't there?

'_You really are dense. I don't understand why everyone's ga-ga over you.'_

Haruhi sighed inwardly, telling herself not to take the hedgehog's words so seriously and that he was probably just over-analyzing things. After all, she had been with the hosts longer than The Fuzzies and never noticed anything but muddled, brotherly love coming from them…Again with the exception of Tamaki who was, and probably always would be, in the false mind-set that Haruhi was his 'daughter' and he her 'father'.

Nothing abnormal for the Host Club.

After Sally failed to hide an upcoming yawn, the girls decided it was time to call it a night and pick who would stay with who. After little debate, it came to Haruhi would room with Sally and Julie-Su with Bunnie, both figuring their other halves could use with more male bonding though Haruhi didn't know if bonding with the club was a good thing, or a bad one.

Still, even as she lay down, a part of Haruhi wished she could know what the guys in the story above could possibly be talking about.

* * *

**F.K here, once again! Gotta few announcements for those of you who bother to read this and review ;) First off, the reason there is no comment replies on this chapter is because we're gonna try something a bit different this time around. Meaning we're gonna have one of those "Let the characters answer your reviews/questions" things for this and every chapter from now on. So let those reviews start a-flowing!**

Second, I know that somewhere in the beginning of the story we (I) said that only Team Sonic would be in the ffic but after some major thought, it was decided that the twin's needed some way to get back at Sonic for interfering so much in Hikaru's "love" life and what better way to do that then send the Fuzzie's girlfriends? **;)**

**Third and last, for those of you who are interested some fan-art has been posted in my account (the link is in my profile) and we also have a playlist made up for the ffic, which will be posted either on or Devaint, not sure yet but check both so you don't miss it!**

ANYWAY. please R&R! And thanks for the continued support! 


	11. Big Night, Good Time

The twins plopped on their bed and kicked off their shows then yawned simultaneously.

"It's creepy the way you guys do that, y'know?" Sonic pointed out, closing the bedroom door behind him.

The twins' heads popped up at the same time, their irritated expressions mirrored off the other.

"What are you doing here?" they both questioned.

The hedgehog blinked. "This is my room too, remember?"

"Yeah, but you never stay in here," Hikaru noted laying his head back down.

"What makes tonight different?" Kaoru asked, propping himself on his elbows.

Sonic shrugged and sauntered to the empty bed. He hopped onto the mattress and continued bouncing, making the bed squeak in protest.

Hikaru groaned. "Don't you ever get tired?" he whined, covering his eyes with his arm.

The blue Fuzzy's expression turned thoughtful, his jumps uninterrupted. "Sometimes," he answered.

"So little Sally doesn't find your practically constant movement at all annoying?" Hikaru asked from under his arm.

Kaoru chuckled and lay back down. "She must be pretty strange herself if she ever found you appealing."

Sonic stopped his mattress torture and stood on the ruffled covers, his face unusually stern. "There's nothing 'strange' about Sal'," he rebutted.

There was a knock at the door, and before anyone even thought about considering asking "Who's there?" Tamaki barged in with a not-so-happy looking Antoine at his heels.

"Good evening, my comrades! I've decided we're all having a slobber party!"

The twins sat up and blinked, confused.

"Do yo mean 'slumber' party, boss?" Kaoru asked.

"Isn't that what I said?" His Majesty leaped onto the bed Sonic was standing on and sent the little blue alien in the air to land on the twins', which made the red heads stifle laughter.

"Of course I finally find some civilized company, and theez eez where he would rather stay. With theez hooligan and heez accomplices, no doubt." Antoine made a displeased face at the messy bed that Tamaki was sitting on, the club leader's eyes wide with excitement, and sighed. "Oh, well."

"Knuckles and Kyoya should be here soon," Tamaki announced.

"What about Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai, and Tails?" Kaoru asked.

"Wouldn't want to mess with Honey's sleep schedule," his brother cleared up, to which Kaoru simply replied, "Oh."

"Why is everyone in _our _room?" the twins then protested.

"_Our _room." Sonic waved a finger between the three of them, but the twins shoved his face back in the mattress with a "Shush, hedgehog!"

"Because you two delinquents wouldn't ever listen if I told you to meet in my room," Tamaki explained.

The twins looked as though they would protest, then shrugged, accepting the truth but still annoyed nonetheless.

And without a knock, Kyoya walked in, a pillow and his notebook tucked under his arm. But Knuckles was nowhere in sight. When Tamaki questioned the red Fuzzy's absense, Kyoya simply said he couldn't find him. Hikaru couldn't imagine Kyoya looked too hard to begin with, though.

Tamaki pouted as Kyoya tossed his pillow on the bed the blonde was sitting on and sat in the chair in front of the desk in the corner. The king's frown disappeared in an instant, and he began explaining his wonderful slumber party plans with everyone.

"Hey, boss," the twins interrupted. "Why'd you make a big deal out of us not having enough rooms if you were going to stuff us all in one like sardines anyway?"

"How dare you question your club leader!" Tamaki shouted, a tiny amount of pain evident in his voice.

Antoine turned to Sonic who was picking something off his sneakers. "How have you put up with all theez nonsense?" the coyote questioned, gesturing to the twins who were making faces at Tamaki behind his back.

Sonic looked to the ceiling and thought for a moment tapping his chin with his finger. "Practice. Lots of practice," he finally decided with a smirk. But Antione just groaned and shook his head, slumping his shoulders.

"So, our new Fuzzy friend!" Tamaki yelled, taking the little coyote into his arms and spinning around the limited space of the room. "Tell us how you got here! Aren't all the pretty teleportation gems here?"

After Antione fell on his rump with a light "thud" on the mattress not inhabited by the twins and Sonic, he smoothed his jacket and hair and cleared his throat. "Well, you see-"

"Are you seriously asking Antione? He'll start with Adam and Eve!" Sonic complained from between the twins. "Long story short," the hedghehog interrupted again, "Sally has a super-smart computer named Nicole, and Mobius probably isn't the calmest place right now, so they came looking for me to clean it up."

"You are so self-absorbed," the twins mused, petting the blue Fuzzy's head.

"Actually, zat was rahzer accurate," Antione agreed. "And ze princess meesed you, though I can't imagine why." He shrugged, and Sonic resisted the urge to stick out his tongue. Antione continued, "She said somesing about just getting you back, and you left again. She called you a fuel many times." He grinned.

"'Fuel?'" the twins asked each other, shrugging.

"Fool," Sonic corrected.

"Is what I say. Fuel," Antione explained, a bit exasperated.

"What's so not-calm about this Mobius?" Tamaki asked, looking worried.

Sonic and Antione shared a glance before the hedgie said, "Oh, nothing. Just some mad scientist. Nothing we haven't dealt with before." He shrugged.

"Many times." Antione emphasized.

"_Way_ too many times," Sonic added, stonily.

"Well if you're such a big shot hero why does it keep happening?" Hikaru asked him, his sarcasm practically visible as he looked down at the Fuzzie on the edge of the bed.

"Because the guy's insane and wants nothing more in his cold, little heart than to enslave our 'fuzzy' little race." Sonic explained, either not noticing or ignoring the eldest twin's tone.

"What'd you do to tick him off so bad?" Kaoru asked out of pure curiosity, and in far less bitter tones then his brother.

"It eez a long story," Antione stated, sighing as tought just thinking about it was too much effort. "But let us just say zat we Mobians 'ave not alwayz gotten along with the Overlanderz."

"Humans," Sonic clarified before anyone could ask what the coyote meant. "It's one of those 'we're better than you' kinda of deals, and it only just stopped a few months ago, more or less. Thanks to _us_." He gestured to himself and Antione, before adding "and the rest of our friends."

"Really?" Tamaki squealled in delight, like he was being told a particularly fasinating bed-time story.

The coyote nodded. "Oui, and eez waz about time too. Eleven yearz of fighting theez tyrant has beginning to taken a toll on my good health."

"Eleven years, you say?" Kyoya repeated from his corner chair, looking up from his notebook to Sonic. "But that would have made you at least five-years old when he took over."

"Yeah, that's about it." Sonic shrugged. "Time sure flies."

"I, for one, am glad we have ended the fighting. Unlike someone I know…"

"Yeah, well the most excitement we've gotten in our lives is school." Hikaru

"Minus our little mishaps before." Sonic added, making the twins roll their eyes and Antione tilt his head curiously.

Karou nodded in agreement with his brother. "And school starts again soon. I'll be glad to get out of here."

"It gets boring not being able to understand anything that's said around here." The twins finished together with identical shrugs.

"I, for one, will be truly sad to leave such a wonderful country behind!" Tamaki declared waving his hands through the air as if he could gesture throughout the entire country. "I just wish we could have experienced more of the famous night life of America!"

"That _can_ be fixed." Sonic stated simply.

"How so?" The twins asked in confusion.

"We can have a party?" The hedgehog said in exactly the same tones.

"A party?" Tamaki echoed, a mix of happy and puzzled lining his voice.

"A _big_ party." Sonic highlighted with a smirk, then considered before saying, "but don't worry, we're not talking those crazy college parties you see in movies and all that jazz….Well, not entirely." He added quietly.

Antione folded his arms, looking unpleased at the hedgie's idea. "And _how_ do you expect us to be setting up theze party?"

"He has a point. We would need food-" Hikaru began.

"Entertainment-" Karou added.

"Invitations-" Hikaru continued.

"And decorations." Both of them finished pointively, though there was an obvious approving gleam in their eyes towards the whole idea. It did sound fun, and there was no better place to cause an uproar or mischief then a party and they had long fallen behind their usual quota.

"Precisely." Antione said, looking at Sonic and twisting a finger by his head. "I theenk you are having a screw loose."

"Ant, Ant, Ant, it's like you forget _who_ I am." The hedgehog hopped over and clapped the coyote on the shoulder and smirked. "Trust me, I _know_ people and these kids deserve one night of living the dream, if anything. And so do we."

"Well.." Tamaki said slowly, then looked at the vice-president. "What do you think, Kyoya?"

Kyoya looked at the blonde for a second before shrugging. "I see no harm in it, so long as the costs are keep at a bare minimum. We can't afford to splurge after today's events."

"It won't cost you guys a dime, promise." Sonic stated.

That being said, the twins felt it was time to turn to a completely different topic before any further plotting could be done in the very near future. "So are we going to get anymore insight on you and—" They began slyly, looking at the hedgehog on the bed next to them with a wicked gleam in their eyes.

"No." Sonic snapped, having already seen it coming and with finality that the twins ignored.

"But—" They tried again only to get cut off this time by Tamaki who grabbed each of them by the arm and dragged them over to the other side of the room.

"Listen up you two." He whispered to them, glancing back to their blue Fuzzie. "If he doesn't want to talk about, then we won't. Can't you see you're going to cause nothing but trouble if you bring up a tremendous heartbreak like that?"

"I can hear you." Sonic said flatly, his ears flattening in irritation. "And for the record, it was 'tremendous'."

"You see? Now he's in denial!" Tamaki cried.

The hedgehog sighed heavily. "Suddenly, I have the feeling this is going to be a loo-ooong search…" he muttered.

"Well, the bright side is we have only three emeralds left to find. One more vacation and we'll all be able to get on with our lives." Kyoya pointed out.

"Yeah…" Sonic supposed.

"Something wrong with that?" Kyoya glanced at the hedgie from over his glasses and raised an eyebrow.

"Not really," was the response he got as the hedgehog lookeda t the twins. "I just can't help but wonder if _they'll_ go back to the same way they were before, is all."

"I hardly believe so." Kyoya said ernestly, looking at the Fuzzie with a small smile. "Believe it or not, though they have a funny way of showing it, the twins have grown quite attached to each of you. No need to point out which one they're most fond of, but, like us all, they find cooping with the fact you guys won't be around for ever is best done by acting as though nothing's changed between you since they announced their hatred back in Okinawa."

Sonic pondered this for a second. "You really have them pegged, don't you, Specks?"

Kyoya looked at him, unchanged. "It's no different then you and you little band of heroes, now is it?"

"Maybe, but we don't hide things like that from each other." The hedgehog said before noticing the look the vice president was giving him. "_What_?"

Kyoya stared for a few more seconds before returning to his notebook and sctraching down more notes. "Nothing." He said at last, much to Sonic's confusion. Kyoya keep writing for a few minutes before glancing back at where the hedgehog had rejoined with the other four and were now talking about something beyond his caring. While there were still a great number of things about the Mobian part of the club he didn't understand (and probably never would) he couldn't figure out why, for all their perks, the club had so many dense members residing within it who couldn't see things that were right under their nose.

The party turned out to be as free as Sonic had promised. The decorations were all borrowed from the sets Chris' parents used to work on as a favor and all the food was prepared by Ella, Chris' maid, and she surprised the club by preparing all their favorites. Haruhi especially reveled in the fact that there would be fancy tuna, and her mouth watered ever so slightly every time the thought of it crossed her mind. It was about time she would get to enjoy that tasty delicacy without something, anything getting in the way, and tonight felt like a good night for just that to happen. And while everyone else was getting ready and decorating the house, she helped Ella prepare everything. She told herself it was because she knew her way around the kitchen, but she always caught herself staring at the tuna when she was supposed to be stirring something.

"Oh, Haruhi, you are such a little darling, you know that?" Ella grinned over the sushi she was rolling, and Haruhi smiled politely back. She never knew what to say when people complimented her like that. "It's just so nice of you to help me in the kitchen. I do love cooking, you know. It's very relaxing."

"Yeah, my dad and I like to experiment in the kitchen every once in a while," Haruhi tried adding to the conversation. And suddenly she felt the tiniest pang of homesickness. It was quiet in the kitchen for a moment, the only sounds the bubbling pot in front of Haruhi and Ella's humming, when there was suddenly a very loud bang at the front door. Haruhi threw her hands over her head, sending her mixing spoon through the air and tossing over her pot of miso soup with another loud crash.

Mr. Tanaka walked calmly to the door, but before he could reach for the handle, a rather large man wearing bug-eye sunglasses slammed the door wide open, his arms outstretched. "Tanaka, my man!" The large man stepped forward and hugged the butler, lifting him a few inches off the ground. "How've you been? Looking spiffy as usual, I see."

When he was back on his feet, Tanaka brushed off his jacket and smiled politely. "Mr. Rocque, you seem to be in a good mood this evening."

"Gustavo Rocque!" Ella shouted from the kitchen, slamming a mop and bucket next to the sad puddle of soup and confused Haruhi who looked away from the loud man up to Ella with even wider eyes than was ever thought possible. "I'm getting tired of you stomping around this house like you own it!"

Gustavo turned to Ella, his huge sunglasses glaring in the sunlight coming through the wide open door. "Hey, Ella, you mind making me some snicker doodles? Unless you want Mrs. Knight to handle it." And with that, he turned quickly and stomped into the living room, shouting something like "Where's this party at?"

Haruhi watched as Ella lifted the mop and started mopping up the wasted soup and muttered something in a language Haruhi guessed wasn't English since she couldn't catch a single word when someone else walked through the front door.

"Good afternoon, Tanaka. How've you been?" Haruhi turned back to the door, curious as to why a female would ever accompany that loud and very large man. She spotted a lady with long, wavy hair who had a clipboard in one hand and a phone in the other. Her smile was genuine as she lowered her phone to her clipboard and waved.

Tanaka's smile seemed a little sheepish as he wiggled his fingers in a manner that should have been considered a wave. "Good afternoon, Kelly." When he noticed Haruhi staring in their direction however, his face quickly became solemn as he cleared his throat. He bowed at the waist and waved an arm through the air, showing Kelly the way to the living room where it sounded like Gustavo was yelling about there not being enough snacks.

Kelly rolled her eyes at the shouting and headed for the living room doors, smiling and waving at Haruhi as she passed. Haruhi waved back, wondering who in the world these strange people were. Before Kelly made it through the door, she stopped and announced, "The boys will be here in a minute. They got sidetracked again."

But before the door closed behind her, a tall, blonde boy faceplanted on the floor right at Tanaka's feet. Haruhi jumped as three more boys piled on top of him, shouting incoherently. The female scrunched her face in confusion when she saw one of them was wearing what looked like a helmet for what seemed like no apparent reason. But when one of the other boys slapped him in the back of the head, she figured it wasn't so pointless after all.

Kelly stepped back into the foyer, put two fingers to her lips, and whistled so loud, Haruhi covered her ears as reflex. The bustle at the front door immediately stopped, and the four boys quickly scrambled to their feet.

"That wasn't fair!" the boy in the helmet shouted. "Tripping is totally against the rules, and you know it!"

"It's not my fault you can't walk a straight line without falling on your face," the blonde one said, patting the shorter boy's helmet with a smirk. Helmet Boy glared up at him for a moment before tackling him, shouting something about always getting cheated.

The two boys left standing glanced at each other for a moment, shrugged, then each grabbed a fighting boy by the waist trying to tear them apart.

"Guys... Guys! ... _Guys_!" Kelly shouted, and the boys froze. "Will you please just go get ready to perform?"

And with that, the group got to their feet and headed to the living room, chattering excitedly about the party.

Haruhi had never been so confused in her life.

Kelly sighed and turned to Haruhi. "Sorry about that. They're a little... rowdy."

Haruhi blinked then realized she was supposed to say something back. "Oh, uh. I don't-"

"Oh, actually, Kelly, she's just visiting and doesn't understand much English," Tanaka interrupted. Kelly half-nodded, trying to figure out why they invited these boys when the visitors wouldn't even understand, when Tanaka continued, "But I'd be happy to translate."

"Yeah, that'd be great, Tanaka." Kelly smiled, then turned to the living room. "We'll do introductions in a minute." And she disappeared behind the doors.

Haruhi blinked a few times, trying to understand the scene that just played out before her when she heard Tanaka sigh. She saw him walk through to the living room and shrugged to herself. He didn't look unhappy. He looked pretty happy. So why would he sigh?

"Haruhi, dear, we need to start a new batch of miso soup!" The female heard Ella call from the kitchen and turned around to go help when she heard a loud crash from the living room and more shouting. Tonight would be anything but peaceful.

"Ella, who are those people?" Haruhi asked, placing a new pot on the stove.

"Oh, those boys? They're just a little boy band that works for a record company that's friends with Chris' parents. They're no harm." Ella paused from chopping vegetables. "Well, maybe they are. But they don't mean it. They're very talented and smart, but they just want to have fun." She turned to Haruhi who was chopping bits of tofu. "They're just your average teenagers."

Haruhi sighed. Her idea of average teenagers had nothing to do with boy bands or rich people, but they seemed to be all over the place lately.

So she figured she might as well get used to it.

After the last of the food was made, Haruhi helped Ella set it up outside where (in her opinion) an unnecessarily large buffet had been set up. Like the inside of the mansion, the backyard had been turned into a wonderland of decorations and festivity and Haruhi couldn't help but think of it as a larger host event. Still, she was interested to see how this last minute thing would turn out.

"Not bad, eh?"

Haruhi turned around to see Sonic and Tails behind her, looking just as amused by the décor as she did, but that wasn't what caught her eye. She stared at them for a second before raising an eyebrow. "What's with the get ups?"

"Kyoya said we might as well take this time to get used to them." Tails replied, gesturing to the little black suits he and his adoptive brother were wearing, though the latter was more preoccupied with trying to correctly figure out the tie around his neck. "Luckily, these aren't the worst ones."

"And ticking off Specks isn't high on my to-do list," the hedgehog added absent-mindedly.

"Speaking of everyone else, where are they?" Haruhi asked, more to herself than the Fuzzies, but that didn't stop them from answering.

"Well, Honey and Mori are helping Chris with decorations." Tails began.

"The King and Vice Pres are upstairs with some stranger helping the other girls 'get fitted', whatever that means." Sonic continued without looking up from his sad attempts. "No idea where Knux went off too, and the twins are…come to think of it I have no idea where those two went either."

_Shocker. _Haruhi thought before noticing the hedgie's tone in that last part. "Why do you sound so worried by that?"

"No reason," was the simple answer she got.

Haruhi looked at Tails, who just shrugged, then back at the hedgie and his losing battle before sighing and kneeling down to help him with the air of a professional.

"Thanks," he told her before gestering back to the house."Anyway, what's up with the people running around here like they own the place?"

"Apparently they're some kind of boy band that your friend's parents know or something like that." Haruhi tried to explain, already forgetting what it was Ella had told her but still wondering what was so great about them.

The hedgehog snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot about them." He said before turning and darting away after saying, "talk to you guys later."

Haruhi shook her head. "Is there anyone in this country he _doesn't_ know?"

"Not really,"Tails replied honestly. "But it goes both ways, so you shouldn't be so surprised."

"I'm not." Haruhi grunted.

"Well, that's good because if you weren't used to it by now that'd be weird."

"This _whole_ thing is weird."

Tails looked at her, ears flat in confusion. "But that's half the fun, right?"

Haruhi looked down at the fox, seeing the mix of concern and perplexity in his blue eyes before realizing what he was really asking and sighing. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she answered at last with a half-hearted smile.

Satisfied, the fox smiled back. "I'm glad. Besides, we're not going to be here forever and we have to enjoy the time we do have." He considered for a moment. "Even if it _is_ weird."

As if on cue, one of the band members suddenly appeared out of nowhere and ran to the buffet, where he promptly squealed in excitement as he held up the same strange food on a stick Haruhi had been given at the carnival. "They have corn dogs!" He shouted excitedly.

Haruhi watched as the band member shoved the odd food in his mouth before grabbing as many as he could fit in his fists and running off in the direction he came.

"So weird," the female repeated, shaking her head. But not a second later, another one of the band members was on the stage, in a suit just like the Fuzzies, tapping a microphone.

"Hey, everyone!" the blonde boy said as the others made their way to their microphones, also dressed up in what looked like their Sunday best. Haruhi was a little surprised to see the corndog loving member in a suit when he was in his street clothes not very long ago. The crowd around the stage cheered, and the band smiled and waved.

"Good to see everyone here tonight," the other shortish boy said into his mic.

"Yeah, we missed you guys. How you been?" The tall brunette waved and the crowd cheered. Haruhi watched from the house's back door, her arms folded, watching as some of the girls in the crowd seemed to squeal. She rolled her eyes. Girls were the same everywhere.

"That's great!" the helmet-wearing member nearly shouted into his microphone. "We're just gonna sing a few songs to get this party started, then we're gonna party too! How's that sound?" And with that, the crowd nearly exploded, and Haruhi flinched. She would never be able to get used to this lifestyle, she concluded to herself.

"But apparently we have some guests tonight that need a little translation, so we have a little guest of our own," the blonde member explained. "You all know him, you all love him, he drives us crazy, but he's pretty cool considering he's blue. Say hi to Sonic the hedgehog, everyone!"

Haruhi squinted when she noticed Sonic walk on stage, waving. "Oh, great. Another hedgehog musical number," she mumbled to herself. Oddly enough, Hikaru was thinking the exact same thing from the upstairs balcony. He had no view of the stage, but he could see Haruhi just fine. He found it rather amusing that she wasn't blown away being around celebrities, even if she had no idea who they were. She was a commoner; weren't the supposed to get excited?

The music started, and the crowd cheered as Sonic took the first verse in Japanese. Just like at the fair, no one seemed to notice because they were all singing along in English.

_'Cause the world stops when I put my arms around you, around you. Woah-oh. And nothing even matters. Nothing even matters._

Hikaru groaned internally. It's like that stupid hedgehog was trying to drive him crazy with his stupid music and his stupid singing. He tried to ignore the rest of the song, but some lyrics made their way through.

_I don't care about the money, don't care about the clothes / When we're together, baby, anything goes / 'Cause we don't even need to prove what we feel in our hearts._

Haruhi sighed. She thought it was very strange even imagining a girl wanting to be that weird helmet boy's "girlfriend." Music didn't really make sense to her sometimes.

Sonic spotted Haruhi in the crowd and resisted the urge to roll his eyes when he realized Hikaru was nowhere in sight. That boy would never learn.

The band continued playing through their set which included songs with silly lyrics (in Haruhi's opinion) like "_I know you know you got my heart thumpin'_" and "_if you could read my mind, all your doubts would be left behind_." Haruhi always figured if you have something to say, you should say it. There's no point in hiding stuff. Songs like that were just ridiculous.

And when the set was done and the band hopped off stage, Hikaru practically had the same idea. But before he could make it down the steps, the female Fuzzies finally emerged from Haruhi's room all dolled up in cute little dresses.

Sally looked rather uncomfortable, but Bunnie had a triumphant looking smile on her face. Kaoru sauntered out behind them along with some strange person Hikaru had never seen before. Hikaru gave his brother a confused look to which Kaoru said, "What? You know we have a knack for this kind of stuff. They look great."

The stranger sort of pouted then stormed off, and Kaoru chuckled. "He's just jealous my little additions look good."

Hikaru shook his head and watched as the female Fuzzies made their way down the stairs ever so carefully. Kaoru elbowed his brother's side and motioned from Sally to Sonic who was walking through the guests into the house, smiling and waving at everyone who noticed him. Hikaru watched the hedgehog zigzag through peoples' legs until he caught sight of Haruhi walking into the kitchen.

"Yeah, just a minute, Kaoru." Hikaru patted his brother's shoulder and raced down the stairs, leaving Kaoru standing alone to sigh and shake his head.

Before Hikaru made it to the kitchen, one of the band members, who seemed to have been doing a conga line backwards, rammed right into him. "Woah, my bad, bro," a shortish brunette said, straightening the strange top hat that lay on his head. He showed a rather crooked smile before saluting and dancing away.

Hikaru blinked, not really understanding what the boy said, then decided it would be best to just let it go, smile, and walk away. But before he could, another taller, blonde band member grabbed his shoulders and shouted, "Join the fun, buddy!" before shoving him in the reverse conga line the other was supposedly leading.

The redhead was forced into the dancing madness but tried desperately to get to the kitchen before he lost what little nerve he had. He didn't really know what he was going to say to Haruhi, but he was pretty sure it was important.

Someone screamed in Hikaru's ear which made him flinch. "Calm down, man!" a different band member wearing a helmet shouted in his ear. "It's a party!" He and the taller member cheered and gave each other high fives before dancing off.

Hikaru honestly believed he was stuck in madhouse, and when he finally escaped from the conga line and made it to the kitchen, he noticed Haruhi talking to someone already. Since the suit he was wearing looked familiar, Hikaru figured he was part of the band too. Something inside the twin fumed at his cocky grin, and he started marching to where they stood when a blue blur stood before him.

"Hey, twinkletoes." Sonic tugged at his collar and grimaced. "Where are you headed in such a hurry?" He turned around, trying to find what the redhead was focused on (even though he tried to quickly redirect his attention to his shoes), and when he spotted it, he let out a low whistle. "Haruhi looks like she's having a good time with James over there," he said, pointing his thumb to the people mentioned and turning back to Hikaru who was frowning at the floor.

"James is a stupid name," Hikaru muttered.

"Yeah, well. No one ever said he was the brightest of the bunch," the hedgehog said, shrugging his shoulders. He smirked and whipped behind Hikaru and started pushing his knees, making him step forward. "You should go meet him. You'll be fast friends. Just go talk about how great-looking you both are."

Hikaru protested and tried stepping away, but before he could get a firm step, he bumped into Haruhi who looked like she was being awoken from a daze. Before he even considered apologizing, Sonic greeted the tall brunette with a silly fist bump. "James, hope Haruhi here isn't boring you too bad," he said, causing the female to roll her eyes.

Hikaru jumped when something in Haruhi's hands spoke in a language he could actually understand, translating the hedgehog's words. Noticing his surprise, Haruhi explained, "This is Nicole. Sally let me borrow her to translate. She's really nice." She paused. "For a computer."

"Thank you, Haruhi," Nicole responded. "And hello, Hikaru. I've heard a lot about you."

Hikaru halted for a moment, actually debating whether he should answer what looked like a really old cell phone. "Um, hi," he settled with, slapping his forehead internally.

James wrapped an arm around Haruhi's shoulders that sent some weird rage surging through Hikaru's chest. "Yeah, me and Haruhi here were just chatting it up," the band member explained. "She's teaching me all about Japan." As Nicole translated, he shot a flawless smile down at Haruhi who gave a tiny smile in return and quickly looked away.

Hikaru frowned at the friendly embrace and the fact that Haruhi didn't move away. This guy, whoever he was, was way too close. Before he even knew what he was doing, he grabbed Haruhi's free hand and pulled her out of his reach.

"Nice meeting you, James, but I have to uh... show Haruhi... something. Bye." His words were rushed, but for once in his life, he didn't know what to say. He shimmied through the crowd, Haruhi following him, holding Nicole close as to not drop her.

"Hikaru, what do you need to show me that's so important?" the female asked, a little concerned for the redhead's sanity.

Hikaru didn't answer. Instead, he stopped in his tracks, turned around to face her, and said, "You don't even know that James guy. Why are you telling him your life story?"

Haruhi blinked, confused. "I wasn't telling him my life story. He just reminded me a lot of Tamaki-senpai, so I figured I'd be nice." She looked down at Nicole, but nothing came from the little handheld computer.

The twin huffed, then exhaled slowly. _What is wrong with me?_

But before he could answer his own question, someone bumped into him from behind. He turned around to see a rather disheveled band member, the same one that Haruhi had seen running around with "corndogs."

"Oh, man, bro I am so sorry," the member laughed.

The taller, blonde boy appeared at his friend's side and stuck out his hand. "We have got to stop running into each other like this. I'm Kendall, and this doofus is Carlos."

Hikaru stared at the boy's hand for a moment before Nicole translated. When he finally understood, the twin smiled a bit and grasped his outstretched hand. "Hikaru." He pointed at the female. "Haruhi."

"Oh hey! It's the girl James said he was gonna ask out!" Carlos revealed, pointing at Haruhi who looked rather dumbstruck at the boy's finger.

Before Nicole could even translate, Sonic appeared between the two different, tiny groups, hopped up in the air lightly, and thumped Carlos in the head. The singer gripped his head and shouted something about this is why he always wore his helmet while the hedgie and Kendall had a bit of silent communication. Kendall pushed Carlos back into the crowd, telling him to dance since he was a party king after all, and Sonic turned back to Hikaru and Haruhi. "Why don't you guys go get some food or something? The chili dogs are awesome." And with that, he zipped back into the crowd and disappeared.

The two who were left glanced at each other. "These guys are so weird." She rolled her eyes before turning to the refreshments table. She was ready for some fancy tuna, and she was going to get her hands on some if it was the last thing she did.

From the stage, Sonic was watching as Hikaru slumped his shoulders a bit and followed her. "See that kid there?" he asked, pointing in the twin's general area.

"The one in the purple pants? Yeah, he's a little weird. He smells like cornchips like that guy at the Palmwoods," Carlos answered quickly, to which the other three guys quickly agreed.

Sonic resisted the urge to slap his forehead. "No, dunderheads, the one with the orange hair."

After a brief pause, they all answered in unison. "Twinkletoes?"

"I know, right?" the hedgie laughed. "Well, anyways, here's the deal..."

"There's no more fancy tuna," Haruhi whined.

But before Hikaru could respond, Sonic stage-coughed into the microphone onstage. "These guys want to perform one last song before they go!" He motioned to the boy band who waved to the cheering crowd, huge smiles on each of their faces, except for James who seemed to be pouting just a bit.

"This one goes to all the couples out there! It's an oldie but goody!" Kendall said into the mic, positioning himself with his guitar as the rest of the boys got situated on stools from off the stage. Hikaru shrugged at Haruhi, waiting for a translation from Nicole, but none came.

When the first chord was played, the crowd exploded, but even over all that, Hikaru could still hear Sonic singing over the band in a language he could actually understand.

_You'll never know how much I really love you / You'll never know how much I really care / Listen / Do you want to know a secret? / Do you promise no to tell? / Woahh-ohh / Closer / Let me whisper in your ear / Say the words you long to hear / I'm in love with you_

Hikaru groaned and looked away from the stage contemplating how many different ways he could kill the hedgehog without leaving any evidence. Kaoru would probably think of something.

"What's with all the love songs tonight? Don't they know anything else?" Haruhi questioned, standing at Hikaru's side.

_I've known the secret for a week or two / Nobody knows / Just we two_

Hikaru looked down at Haruhi, taking in how adorable she looked in the little party dress Tamaki bought for her during their shopping trip. With its stupid frill everywhere, it just seemed to suit her nicely. Then he noticed he was staring. He swallowed loudly, but his throat was dry. He sort of knew what he was doing, but he couldn't believe he was actually going to do it. He started leaning towards her, not completely aware of the fact that she wasn't paying any attention to him in the slightest, when his brother grabbed his shoulders and pulled him aside.

"What are you _doing_?" Hikaru shouted, mostly from surprise.

Kaoru blinked. "Sorry, were you busy? I was just going to tell you the plan I had for Sonic and miss Princess Sally. Ready?" A sly grin crept on his face, and Hikaru held in the need to scream.

"Lay it on me," he said instead, trying to mirror his brother's enthusiasm.

Kaoru did and in the end, Hikaru was more than just impressed and looking forward to putting it into action, but there were a few things to do beforehand.

And one of those things was to recruit a few pawns.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the chaotic setting of the Thorndyke's property, another part of the host club had gathered around another table bordering the bustling crowd of people dancing (or some movement resembling it) near the stage where another band had taken over the stage in a manner of minutes with lyrics none of them could quite understand. Though Tamaki announced he would soon find out what the "Moves of a Jagger" were, but for now he was stuck with another problem. Namely why their new female echidna companion wouldn't agree to dress in the adorable outfits like the others.

"But why?" Tamaki whined.

With a much-irritated look on her face, Julie-Su folded her arms and glared at the King from across the table. "Listen, Blondie. I'm not here to be your dress-up doll. Don't expect me to start anytime soon either," she added in case there was any confusion left behind.

Next to her, Kyoya smirked at the look that came over the blonde's face. "You heard her Tamaki. You can't force everyone to play along in your little game."

"Funny, isn't that what you did?" Knuckles asked Kyoya, sounding more bored than anything.

The Vice President simply looked at him. "You three have no choice in the matter. Or have you forgotten the fact you happen to owe me and my family a large sum of money?"

"Hard to when you keep bringing it up." Sonic murmured.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else?" Julie-Su eyed the hedgie somewhat confused, not noticing him there before. _Or rather __with__ someone else…_she added inwardly.

"Not that I can think of." He replied after a quick thought then looked over to where Haruhi was making her way rather despondently to the group. "What's your problem, Buttercup?

Before Haruhi could open her mouth to explain the lack of the one food she never seemed to _actually_ be able to eat, a voice, and a highly squeaking one to the point where the club thought their ears had gone wacky, rose up from behind her. Turning around to see who it was, Haruhi nearly did a doubletake.

Behind her, standing on a nearby table looking back at her stood three small animals, wearing either a red, blue or green sweater and staring back at her with big, curious eyes.

"What the heck is this?" She asked the other hosts flatly after a long silence, pointing to the mysterious trio.

"_Who_, actually Haruhi." Kyoya corrected plainly. "I'm surprised you don't recognize these particular stars, considering their worldwide pop icons."

"They're so cute!" Tamaki squealed excitedly, rushing to Haruhi's side and kneeling down to look at the little stars at eye-level.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" The red-wearer one asked, eyeing the blonde in a way that dared him to make another comment.

"No need to get hostile, Alvin." The blue, and tallest, one said calmly, pushing up its round glasses before looking at the hosts. "You'll have to excuse him. He's people skills are…questionable."

Haruhi looked to the last one, expecting some say in the matter and just received a small wave, and sighed. "Is someone going to explain what's going on here?" She asked, generally curious this time.

The three little creatures looked at each other before nodding in unison.

"Sure thing, Sweet Cheeks." Alvin told her with a grin that mirrored the one on the other two as he bowed slightly. "Allow us."

Wondering what the heck was going on, Haruhi got her answer a second later when the trio arranged themselves in a rough police line-up and began singing.

_Watch out cause here we come / It's been a while but we're back with style / So get set to have some fun / We'll bring you action and satisfaction / We're the chipmunks / C-H-I-P-M-U-N-K / We're the chipmunks / Guaranteed to brighten your day_

Despite the fact that she was currently watching a trio of singing chipmunks (granted singing animals weren't exactly uncommon in her life anymore, but at least these ones were normal sized) perform on a table, Haruhi actually found that she, like everyone else around the group, was smiling by the time the trio hit their last lines. Something in their enthusiasm was catching, that much was obvious.

_When you feel like a laugh / Give us a call we'll give you a roll / And if you feel like a song / Tune in to us and sing right along / We're the chipmunks / Coming on stronger than ever before / We're the chipmunks / Alvin, Simon, Theodore_

"And there you have it," Sonic said at the end, raising his voice to compete with the rising applause. "Any more questions?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with you?" Haruhi questioned, shaking her head and wondering what has been going through the hedgehog's head when he picked the musical talent for this shindig, yet some part of her was curious to see what was next.

"That, my friend, we will never quite figure out." He responded in even tones and Haruhi just rolled her eyes when she spotted another group of what she also guessed were singing chipmunks on the ground, though these ones where obviously female and looked a little less than happy.

"Alvin!" One of them, in a pink dress, shouted instantly drawing the attention of the crowd as well as The Chipmunks.

"Oh, hey guys." Alvin waved as he peered over the edge of the table, receiving a narrowed eye glare.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, jamming her hands on her hips and glaring up at Alvin. "We're supposed to be performing!"

Alvin scoffed. "Keep your fur on, we were getting there."

"There are more?" Tamaki asked in excitement, practically jumping with giddy.

"Of course." Sonic said, pointing to each of the new arrivals. "Brittany, Eleanor and Janet."

"The Chipmunks and The Chipettes have a rather extensive music career, granted the former hasn't been around quite as long but both are famous for obvious reasons." Kyoya told them, while Knuckles and Julie-Su just looked at each other obviously uninterested in the whole situation to the point where they just got up and walked away from it.

"Well I've ever heard of either of them until right now," Haruhi stated, still puzzled by that fact.

"Hold on second." Brittany began, scurried up the nearest thing almost eye-level with Haruhi (which in this case was a rather surprised hedgehog) and fixed her with a stunned look. "You _seriously_ haven't heard of us?" She asked in shocked tones to genuine to be faked. "We're celebrities whose faces are all over the world! What rock have you been _living_ under?"

"She doesn't get out much, don't let it get to you, Brit." Her pedestal informed her, not noticing the slight flush that came over her face at her nickname.

"Um, hello? Are we going or what?" Alvin asked after a few silent moments had passed and no one had moved.

"Oh. Right." Brittany blinked and scampered back to the ground where the two trios disappeared into the crowd for a second before reappearing on the stage as upbeat music began to play.

"C'mon, Kyoya!" Tamaki shouted, dragging the Vice President close to the stage for a better view as the song continued.

_I whip my tail back and forth / I whip my tail back and forth/ I whip my tail back and forth/ (Just whip it) / I whip my tail back and forth_

"So is there any particular reason you're avoiding your girlfriend?" Haruhi asked before she could really stop herself, though she made a point not to sound as interested as she really felt, which was rare for her.

"She's not my girlfriend and nope." The hedgehog answered without missing a beat, stopping the conversation dead.

From the other side of the yard, Hikaru and Kaoru stood just out of sight of the pair and ready to put their plan into action. Spotting Sally and Bunnie off in another direction, the twins exchanged entertained looks.

"Is it time?" Hikaru asked impishly in an aside.

Kaoru looked past the crowd to where he could make out Chris, who flashed a thumbs up before disappearing into the mass of people.

"It's time." Kaoru grinned.

A few moments later, when the chipmunks had taken their final bows and left the stage to apparently raid the buffet tables, another song rose from the surrounding speakers. The sudden switch from the chipmunk's fast paced pop to what sounded like an anticlimactic movie scene caused most of the guest to look around and exchange confused looks as slower lyrics drawled.

_There were nights when the wind was so cold / That my body froze in bed / If I just listened to it / Right outside the window_

It says something about the adaptive nature of parties, the twins thought, when one second the guests go from utterly confused to pairing up and slow dancing as if the last hyperactive hours hadn't even existed. In almost a flash the mood had completely changed, and all in the twin's favour, as couples gathered in the center of the yard.

_But when you touch me like this / And you hold me like that / I just have to admit / That it's all coming back to me / When I touch you like this / And I hold you like that / It's so hard to believe but / It's all coming back to me / There were moments of gold / And there were flashes of light_

Hikaru looked over to where Chris was currently talking to Sally (Antoine had pulled Bunnie to the floor just seconds earlier leaving the princess alone on the sidelines) before he grabbed her hand and proceeded to the center of the couple crowd.

_If I kiss you like this / And if you whisper like that / It was lost long ago / But it's all coming back to me / If you want me like this / And if you need me like that / It was dead long ago / But it's all coming back to me / There were those empty threats and hollow lies / And whenever you tried to hurt me / I just hurt you even worse_

"Hey, what's Haruhi doing?" Kaoru asked, gesturing to where their female comrade had imitated Chris' actions with their blue pest. "Did you tell her the plan?"

"Of course not," Hikaru told him, not bothering to tell him that he had hardly been able to talk to her all night or that this minour set back in could easily be fixed. The plan in itself wasn't as complex as their others, in fact it was almost horribly cliché, being that it was just to lure the two Fuzzies to the center of the inevitable couple mob, where escape was practically impossible, with the help of Chris and Ella (who they now noticed had been caught by a would-be suitor of her own) and with a gentle bump have nature take course. Easy, and as far as Hikaru could tell, Haruhi seemed to have the same idea they did.

He soon found that was only part of the case. In fact, Haruhi did just the opposite and physically shoved the hedgie towards the princess, nearly knocking both of them over before retreating back to the side by the simple means of pushing past the couples smaller than herself.

"Well, that's one way to get it done," Kaoru said between laughs as he and his brother struggled to compose themselves after seeing the looks on the pair's faces at their abrupt meeting, a comic mix of revelation and royal awkwardness.

_But you were history with the slamming of the door / And I made myself so strong again somehow / And I never wasted any of my time on you since then_

"Wait, what's he doing?" Hikaru asked confused, seeing the hedgehog take a few steps back from Sally. His question was answered a second later when, in a purely host way, the hedgehog bowed and offered a hand to the princess.

_But if I touch you like this / And if you kiss me like that / It was so long ago / But it's all coming back to me_

Much to the twin's satisfaction and somewhat surprise, the offered hand was taken and judging by the sudden "aww!" that followed, Tamaki more than approved the action.

"I can't believe that worked." Kaoru admitted, leaning back on one of the tables and watching the others as his brother did the same. "Even if it wasn't quite the way we planned it, it was a pretty good night."

"I guess," Hikaru really didn't have an opinion of the whole thing, the only thing he had gotten out of the night was confusion and frustration and all of it was directed at his feelings, or whatever they were, towards Haruhi.

Kaoru looked at his brother before sighing and looking up at the sky where he could just make out a few stars. Now, the youngest twin had never bothered with the age told myth of wishing on stars to have a wish come true but, for his brother's case, he was pretty much considering anything now.

And who knows, maybe the stars in America had some mystical power behind them.

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**Whoop! And another chapter is up after another long wait. Sorry guys XD Needless to say we jammed 3rd party characters into this chapter and I hope it fulfilled one (or two) of your requests ;) **

**We will be answering reviews again, we promise! There's just so many we can;t keep track of them all XD**


	12. The Great Outdoors

**OKAY. Calm down guys. Here's the next chapter XD**

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Haruhi woke with a start and fell out of her bed. Stumbling over herself to get to her feet, she was a little puzzled as to why the floor of her room was shaking. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and headed for the door, but when she reached the handle, the shaking stopped and was replaced with shouts. She rolled her eyes and hopped down the stairs, preparing herself for what was behind the living room door.

"What in the world is wrong with you?" she heard Tamaki shout over the twins' bickering with him.

"So it's our fault you forgot to turn down the stereo last night? The one job you had?" Hikaru interrogated back.

As Haruhi entered the room, she witnessed what looked like a television remote fly across the room and thwack one of the twins in the head. She watched as Kaoru snorted next to his brother who was rubbing his head where the remote struck.

"Don't yell at your club leader!" Tamaki yelled, turning away from the twins and folding his arms.

Hikaru grumbled and plopped on the couch in front of the now much quieter television, his brother taking the cushion next to him as Tamaki noticed Haruhi standing in the doorway still in her pajamas, her hair all askew.

"Oh Haruhi you look awful!" The blonde exclaimed, almost terrified before turning to the twins with an accusing look. "You see what you've done? You've scared our poor princess half to death!"

Haruhi rolled her eyes, ignoring the twin's rebuttal and going back upstairs to change and seriously considered staying there for the rest of the morning. After last night, she had had just about all the excitement she could handle out of America and its insane citizens and if today was going to be another pointless day she'd rather just stay in bed. But, like any kind of dream of relaxation the female had, it was crushed when Ella came up and told her Tamaki was calling a club meeting in the livingroom. Making her way downstairs, slowly and on purpose in the hopes they would start without her, she walked into the livingroom, paying no heed to the eyes on her, and sat on the only empty couch cushion left.

"Now that we're all here, I have some important business to discuss with you all," Tamaki announced, from his posistion front and center of the livingroom. "Now that we've found all of the magic emeralds around here-"

"Speaking of that," the twins cut in. "When are we going home? If we found them all shouldn't we be heading back by now? We've had about all we can handle of this country and frankly it's getting kinda boring."

"So we should all leave because you have the attention span of small dogs?" Sonic asked from the windowsill. The twins shot him a look, but he only shrugged.

"Sonic is right, you two," Tamaki told them. "There's still so much to be done!" He waved his arms excitedly as he continued on about what was so wonderful about America, and Haruhi automatically tuned him out and stared at the TV even though she hardly understood what was going on.

"What do you think, Haruhi?"

The female blinked and looked around the room trying to figure out who spoke. "Um," she hesitated. "I want breakfast."

"You can have whatever you want after we figure out something new and exciting to do, Haruhi!" Tamaki hopped to her side of the couch and squished her cheeks making her scrunch her face in displeasure.

"If you want new and exciting, why don't you go roll around in some mud?" Knuckles growled from beside Kyoya. "I bet you've never done that before."

"That doesn't sound very fun at all," the twins muttered, but Tamaki squealed in delight.

"I've just hatched the most brilliant idea I've ever had!" He ran in front of the television, breaking at least half of the room's occupants' attentions, and shouted, "We're going camping!"

The twins groaned loudly and slumped their heads on the couch. "Why? We can go camping at home too," the complained.

"Don't you know about the wonderful forests here in America? There's-"

"No, please. Don't," Haruhi interrupted. "Camping is fun, I don't see why we shouldn't," she said matter-of-factly.

Honey giggled. "It does sound like fun, and we've never been, right Takashi?" to which his cousin merely replied, "Yeah."

"Don't be such babies," Bunnie chimed from the couch across the twins. "The two o' you are paler than a couple o' marshmallows. Some sun'll do ya good."

The twins rolled their eyes in unison before Kyoya finally spoke up. "Sounds like the most affordable fun we've ever had," he said, even though he didn't sound excited exactly.

"Then it's decided!" Tamaki declared happily, clapping his hands. "We'll leave in an hour!" And with that, he zipped out the room and up the stairs so fast, Sonic was just a tiny bit impressed.

"Guess we should start packing," Sally suggested, getting to her feet.

"Not like we have much to pack," Julie-Su cleared up. "We don't need much anyway."

Haruhi sighed as she watched Honey practically drag Tails out of the living room, chattering on about what he would need. She did enjoy camping, but she was usually with her dad, and that was enough to deal with. She didn't think she'd be able to handle the whole host club. The thought of it made her shudder.

"They do realize we've spent more than half our lives living in a forest, right?" Sonic asked no one in particular before hopping off the windowsill and heading outside.

Haruhi watched him go before looking at Kyoya. "Are there even any decent places to camp around here?" She asked, considering they were smack in the middle of a city and she doubted as much.

"Yes, actually," the vice-president assured in a usual monotone. "In fact, there's a rather popular one about an hour and a half from this very city located further in the mountains. The sights are quite beautiful according to several renowned travel sites."

Not bothering to ask why Tamaki or Kyoya had been looking at travel sites when they were already on a vacation, Haruhi just shook her head and headed back upstairs to pack for the trip. Figuring she wouldn't need much since they were just staying a night (according to Tamaki who had added this one fact by shouting it up and down the halls as everyone packed), Haruhi was ready in a matter of minutes and back downstairs waiting to leave before the others. Waiting, and still hungry she realized.

Wondering if Tamaki was planning to drag them to another weird restaurant or had already eaten, Haruhi made her way to the kitchen to see what she could grab, having no faith in the blonde's choice of food places. Rummaging through the cupboards, the female withdrew a can of tuna (inappropriately labelled as "chicken of the sea" she noticed) and sighed. If she couldn't eat _actual _fancy tuna, she could at least pretend, right? Grabbing a can opener and a fork, the female ate her meal alone and in slience, grimacing at her meal then eyeing it unhappily. "You're so far from fancy, it's sad," she grumbled at the can before sticking her fork in the fishy meat and getting up to toss the rest in the sink.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki's voice rang out just as her mislabelled meal entered the sink. Turning on her heels, she went back to the livingroom where the rest of the group was gathered at the door, bags in hand. "Is everyone ready to go?' The blonde asked excitedly, getting about half the excitement back in replies (most of it coming from Honey).

"As we'll ever be," Hikaru nearly growled as he slunk into the limo, followed by everyone else, though they did less slunking.

"Wait a second," Tails said once they had all piled in and set off. "Can a limo even make it up to where we're going?"

"It sure can't," Tamaki told them, his tone still too happy for the others. "That's why we'll be hiking once we reach as far as the limo can go!"

"But we are going up into ze _mountains," _Antoine emphasized, rather unhappy at Tamaki's statement.

"I know! Isn't it grand?" The club leader squished the little coyote in one of his rib-cracking hugs even though they were sitting across from each other.

"Hopefully we'll be able to walk a couple miles! Quality bonding time with our new fuzzies!"

"Fantastic," Julie-Su said, not quite under her breath.

"Yeah, I know!" he squealed, grabbing his own face and laughing at his own giddiness. "I'm so glad I thought of it!"

"You're about the only one," Knuckles grated, but Tamaki didn't notice, the blonde was already ranting about much fun they were all going to have hiking, exploring and singing campfire songs and trying to get the latter started right there in the limo, but the idea was promptly shot down due to lack of an actual fire.

"Is he always like this?" Sally asked Haruhi who was too busy staring out the window to really notice Tamaki at all. Snapped back to reality, the only non-fuzzy female glanced over to the tall blonde who was trying to teach Tails about the two different beetles he knew about before replying with a bit of exasperation, "Always."

"Bet you're glad you're stuck here now, huh?" Sonic asked, tones dripping sarcasm as he looked at Sally, but she just shot him a look that made him smile.

"So how long are we going to spend out here anyway, Boss?" Hikaru asked dully, his chin resting on his open palm. Spending even an hour out in the wilderness with the Host Club and its new additions didn't sit too well with him.

"As long as I please, Hikaru," Tamaki stated with a wave of his hand, trying to show his irritation without words since he was really trying to concentrate on talking to Tails.

"And what exactly are we going to do out there?" Julie-Su asked, her tones the same as Hikaru's thoughts.

"Why, what everyone does when they go camping!" Tamaki nearly shouted, finally seeming to forget what he was talking about previously much to the little fox's relief. "We'll make sh'moes and sing campfire songs and tell ghost stories and go fishing and see big foot-"

"S'mores," Haruhi interrupted.

"Does big foot like s'mores?" Tamaki asked, actually realizing he was being corrected.

"When we meet him, I'll be sure to ask," Sonic nearly grumbled.

Out loud, Knuckles groaned, soon followed by the twins which made the echinda glare at them which in turn made them grin sheepishly. For the rest of the trip, the limo was full of aimless chitter-chatter: Tails explaining to Honey the legend of big foot in America, the twins and grumpy guardian silently glaring at each other and everyone else talking about whatever came to mind until Tamaki announced the limo would be dopping them of in a few minutes.

"Finally!" Hikaru nearly whined.

"Like getting there is any better," Sonic mumbled, his head leaning on the back of his seat.

"I am looking forward to this trip being over already," Antoine muttered not quite under his breath and Bunnie looked at him, somewhat disappointed.

"Now Antoine, there ain't nothin' wrong with'a lil' vacation, aftah all we all deserve a break, don't ya think?" the rabbit smiled warmly.

"I couldn't agree more, Bunnie!" Tamaki stated joyously as the vehicle rolled to a stop at a dead end clearing in the forest where, between the trees, the group could see a small, well-worn path zigzagging between the shrubs. And a rather steep one at that. "We're here!" The blonde announced excitedly, practically jumping out of his seat as he opened the door to let himself out.

Almost at once the smell of pine needles and dirt filled the limo, telling anyone who thought The King was kidding that they were in fact now in the middle of nowhere and going to be forced to camp there and have the traditional outdoors experience whether they wanted to or not. As everyone exited the limo and grabbed the luggage strewn in the back, Haruhi couldn't help but notice the fact it was a little more then chilly out here making here glad she had grabbed a jacket before they left in case of such a thing.

"Whoa!" Honey's jaw dropped as he turned a complete circle in an attempt to look at all the the trees and plants in one-sitting. "It's so beautiful here!" He giggled excitedly as he grabbed Mori's hand the second the silent giant got out of the car and started to pull him towards the path. "C'mon, Takashi let's go see some more!"

As the duo began towards the path, the rest of the club followed suit, some more willing than others, mostly because some had more luggage than others thanks to Tamaki insisting the female part of the group need not carry anything because the "gentlemen" that surrounded them would be more than happy to carry their share.

Without a thought, Haruhi lifted her bags and followed the group, able to keep up with ease. Behind her, Hikaru watched her for a second before looking around to see Antoine offering to carry Bunnie's bags, which she agreed to happily, and watched as the newly weds made their way up the path. He let the interaction sink into his mind for a moment before catching up to Haruhi.

"Do you, uh, need any help?" he asked, already reaching for her bags.

She gave him a confused look for a second before simply stating, "No," and continued up the path.

Hikaru paused, his hand still outstretched in the empty air, before he understood what actually just happened. "What do you mean 'no'?" he questioned, jogging to her side.

She raised her eyebrows, her face almost showing concern. "No means the same thing it's always meant. What's wrong with you?" She never missed a beat in her stride, but Hikaru felt like he just faceplanted on concrete.

"Let me carry your bags, Haruhi," he insisted. But the female dodged his advances.

"I can handle it, Hikaru."

The red head watched as she hiked up the hill they had apparently come across and furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Ooo, tough break there, twinkletoes," Sonic mused from behind him.

"What? She didn't need help," Sally interjected, her own bags hanging from her shoulder. "At least he offered."

Hikaru noticed the blue fuzzy's empty arms and raised an eyebrow.

"What? I'm a light traveller," the hedgie said with a shrug.

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "Not what I meant," he said, glancing from the hedgehog to Sally and back again.

"I don't need help either," Sally said before Sonic had a chance to reply and she walked away, catching up to Haruhi as the two struck up a random conversation neither guy could hear.

"Of course you don't," Hikaru heard the hedgehog mutter and the twin glanced at him just long enough to see something flash behind those green eyes before Sonic looked up at him, perplexed. "What?"

"Nothing," Hikaru answered hastily looking away and continuing on the path to catch up with his brother (currently locked in a conversation with Bunnie) without looking back at the hedgehog, even though he could still feel eyes on him.

"-an' that's what happened," Bunnie was saying when he caught up, pausing just long enough to give the twin a small smile.

"Sounds better then most honeymoons if you ask me," Kaoru replied, throughly confusing his brother. Seeing this, the younger twin gave him a quick recap on Bunnie's story, mainly how her and Antoine's recent honeymoon was anything but peaceful seeing as how they had an encounter with a group of fugitives and had been forced to cut their vacation short to deal with the villians and their plan to take over Cocoa Island.

"It iz typically for us," Antoine explained when Hikaru said nothing and just looked at them, puzzled. "After all, a hero's work iz never done."

"So you guys actually like hurt other... animals... and stuff?" Hikaru asked, trying to wrap his head around the concept.

Bunnie nodded. "But they usually start it," she noted.

The dumbfounded twin was at a loss for words when Tamaki finally announced that this spot right here was the perfect spot and that they should set up camp immediately.

"Alright, now what?" Hikaru asked, more than ready for the trip to be over with.

"Don't we need to set up tents?" Kaoru asked, scanning everyone's luggage to see something tent-shaped before slowly coming to a realization.

"Tents?" Tamaki asked, swiveling around to face the twins, his face covered with annoyance. "Do you even know what camping is?! It's about enjoying the nature around you, the wildlife, the TREES." And with that, he practically skipped to the nearest one and stroked it lovingly. "It's beautiful, no?"

The group was silent for a moment before Hikaru plopped his bags on the ground with a groan. "You've got to be kidding me," the growled, stomping away. The rest watched as he headed back in the direction they came when Karou placed his bags, much more lightly than his brother, on the ground and followed him.

"What iz that all about?" Antoine asked, looking to the human part of the club for an answer and recieving nothing but shrugs or puzzled looks.

"Just ignore it, they do that," Haruhi sort of explained, putting her bags on the ground next to the twins' and unpacking her little sleeping bag. She was as ready as them redheads for this trip to be over, but she knew there was nothing she could really do about it.

"We'll get some sticks to make a fire!" Honey shouted excitedly, grabbing both Mori and Tails' hands and leading them through the trees.

"Excellent idea, Honey-senpai!" Tamaki praised, proudly. "The rest of you start unpacking immediatly!" And with that, the club leader lifted his bag off his shoulder and poured its contents on the ground uncerimoniously. Haruhi watched as she saw nothing but chocolate bars, marshmallows and a pillow fall out.

"Something tells me he won't be doing much _sleeping_," Julie-Su said, sounding rather displeased by the fact as Knuckles just grunted in what Haruhi assumed was agreement.

"Might make for some entertainment later," Sonic shrugged, wondering just how much different The King could be hyped up on nothing but sugar.

_And after spending all night out here, we'll need some, _Haruhi thought dully, looking over to where the twins had walked off and noticing, for once, no one seemed too concerned with following them. Wondering briefly if she should be the one to do just that, the female was just about to make up her mind when, instead, Bunnie walked back to where they had disappeared.

She didn't have to walk all that far either, seeing as how the brothers where standing not twenty feet from their campground, facing each other with hushed voices.

"Now what are you two doin' out here and by yerselves?" Bunnie questioned, catching both guys off guard as they turned to face her, looking almost shocked at her presence.

"Actually, we were just headed back. Right, Hikaru?"

The cranky twin scowled at the trees before letting out a sigh. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered.

"Now hold on just a sec'," Bunnie told them as they started walking back, stopping them dead in their tracks. Looking at the two of them with a mix of disappointment and, as far as they could tell, _amusement, _the newer Fuzzie folded her arms as she looked up at them. "Now, Ah may not know much about you two, where ya come from or what yer really like away from all the drama of yer lil' club. But Ah do know that ya'll are lucky tah have people like that who care enough tah want tah brave the great outdoors just tah spend some quality time together." She said, noticing with some annoyance that Hikaru rolled his eyes. "An' Ah also know yer attitude isn't gonna help anyone, sugah."

"And just _how_ do you know that?" The eldest twin asked and, without waiting for an answer, he turned and started to head back until a sudden, strong grip on his arm stopped him from going any further.

"Ah know," Bunnie began without releasing him and ignoring the glare Hikaru threw his way. "Because, keeping people like that at bay, like you are, is goin' tah do nothin' but make ya lonely, hon. An' with such wondahful people around ya, ah suggest ya take the chance while it's still willin' tah wait."

Pulling out of the rabbit's grip (only because she let him, he knew), Hikaru looked to his brother for a moment, expecting support but saw a sort of pitiful look instead. Sighing, the older twin just turned and went back to the where the others were, leaving Bunnie and Kaoru on the path.

"Sorry about him," Kaoru said softly. "Sometimes I don't think he's as grown up as he thinks he is."

Bunnie smiled up at him. "He'll learn eventually, sugah." She patted his arm lightly. "Just give 'im time." And with that, she headed back to camp.

Left alone for a second, Kaoru watched her go. Well...maybe not _all_ little fuzzy aliens were annoying, it seemed. Making his way back to camp, he found Tamaki trying, unsuccessfully, to light the sticks and twings brought back by Honey, Tails and Mori who, judging by the size of some of the sticks, had done most of the carrying.

After about 30 more seconds of this, Haruhi snatched the sticks from his hands and started a fire almost immediately.

"And that's how it's done," Sonic stated from his usual perch in some nearby tree, where he hadn't bothered to help with the unpacking, not really seeing the point behind it all.

""Haruhi how did you learn to do that?" Honey asked, picking up two different sticks and rubbing them together trying to have the same effect.

"My dad and I used to go camping a lot when I was little," Haruhi explained, tending to the fire, making the flames shoot up.

"My little Haruhi is so talented!" Tamaki squeed, scooping the female into a dramatic hug. "What would we ever do without you?"

"Freeze, probably." Knuckles grumbled, but no one paid him much attention.

"Okay, so we've hiked and made a fire. Can we go home now?" Hikaru grumbled from his spot sitting on a tree root a few feet away. "I've had about as much excitement as I can take."

"Excitement? We haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet!" Tamaki said, grabbing one of his many bags of marshmallows and holding it up to his face for everyone to see. "It's S'more time!"

"Hoo-ray!" Honey cheered, throwing his arms into the air, Usa-chan along with them. "I can't wait!"

"Now who actually knows how to make s'mores?" Kaoru asked plainly, not know how himself and doubting the rest of the Host Club, with the exception of Haruhi, did either.

All most at once, all heads turned to the female in question, an expectant silence filling the campsite.

Haruhi sighed audibly then said, "I'll teach you. It's pretty easy, even for you guys."

"Yay!" Honey exclaimed, plopping next to the female who was ripping open a package of graham crackers.

Watching as she opened a package of chocolate next, Tamaki stood by in amazement, his attention rapt on what she was doing.

"You just put the chocolate on the cracker like this," Haruhi informed, demonstrating her expert s'more making skills, making Tamaki gasp in excitement. Grabbing a marshmallow, the female showed the group how to properly stab it with a stick and roast it to perfection.

"Truely an amazing job, Haruhi!" Tamaki said, grabbing a stick of his own and running it through another puffy marshmallow, placing it over the fire with obvious joy at the fact he know knew how to properly stab and roast a marshmallow. "Let's all try it now, shall we?"

"Whatever you say, boss," Hikaru grumbled, reluctently picking up another stick, knowing if he didn't it would just mean more nagging from everyone else. That, and he was secretly excited to try this special commoners food. Not that he'd admit it. Ever.

By the time Hikaru's marshmallow was in proper roasting order, Tamaki stood up suddenly, his dessert aflame. He waved it back and forth in the air in front of him, yelling incoherently, a still very bored looking Haruhi still sitting beside him. In fact, no one seemed too concerned with Tamaki's dilemma, and he went on to run around the campground waving his flaming snack around until it fell to the ground. He stomped on it irratically until the flames died, wiped his forehead of nonexitant sweat and sauntered back to the group announcing that all was well.

"You wasted a perfectly good marshmallow, doofus," Sonic muttered with a mouth full of said snack.

"It's not like we don't have more," Haruhi stated dully, gesturing to the handful of bags next to Tamaki, who had decided to try his hand at roasting once more, though this time he withdrew his snack from the fire every three seconds while eyeing it fearfully.

"Does he really expect us to _eat_ all of those?" Julie-Su wondered aloud as she twirled her own marshmallow over the flames.

"I don't see a problem," Sonic said, popping another marshmallow in his mouth.

"Says the one with the black hole for a stomach," Sally laughed, raising her perfectly roasted marshmallow from the fire that made Tamaki look at his marshmallow with a pout.

"Obviously you haven't seen Honey around sweets," Hikaru said, pointing to the little blonde whose face was almost as stuffed as the blue hedgie's.

"That cannot be ze healthy," Antoine said, a slight distaste in his voice as he watched Honey grab a handful of marshmallows and shove them in his face with a smile.

"It's just 'healthy', hon." Bunnie corrected automatically, handing the coyote a marshmallow of his own, which he took willingly enough.

In the end, none of them could quite believe that they had managed to work their way through all but three bags of the gooey snacks and vowed to never do such a thing again. Keeping true to the camping spirit, once the queasy feelings passed and the sun had gone down, Tamaki, who was no doubt feeling the effects of the sugar, declared it the perfect time to tell traditional ghost stories to which about half the group rolled their eyes in response.

"Please tell us you're joking, boss," Hikaru groaned, leaning on his brother.

"Can't we just go to bed?" Kaoru moaned.

"Of course not!" The King declared with way more force than strictly necessary and the majourity of the group sweatdropped in response. "The most exciting camping part of all is scaring the daylights out of friends! It's truly a bonding experience!"

"And how does that bring us 'closer' exactly?" Knuckles questioned, not at all amused with the blonde's wanting to tell fables about the one thing in the world the echinda refused to believe in.

"I'm so glad you asked!" Tamaki practically squealed, clapping his hands together in excitement. "After our wits are good and scared out here in the wild wilderness, we'll have no one but each other to rely on to keep us safe from the-" he paused, for effect Haruhi figured, before stage-whispering- "ghosts."

"There's no such thing as ghosts," Haruhi and Knuckles said in unision, glancing at each other before looking back at the blonde.

"Don't say that! You'll upset them!" Tamaki cried, running over to the two of them and covering their mouths.

Hikaru shook his head. "What kind of ghosts would be in a _forest_?" He thought the idea was ridiculous.

"Oh? You mean you haven't heard of the Truffula Disaster?" Kyoya asked with no particular interest, it seemed but level enough that no one could tell if he was joking or not.

"The what?" the twins asked.

"The Truffula Disaster!" Tamaki yelled, running over to the twins and gripping their shoulders. "It was the single-most disasterous thing to happen around here EVER!" He shook them a couple times before they slid away.

"That's pretty vague," Haruhi muttered, thinking the fact they were all here would be a pretty bad event in itself, and for the time being couldn't thing of anything worse.

"Basically," Kyoya began without much enthusiasm. "About a hundred years or so ago, this entire forest was once called 'the most beautiful place' in the world until a greedy tycoon began cutting down each and every tree for his new business until nothing was left." As the vice president continued blandly, Tamaki stood behind Haruhi, terrified. "Realizing he had made a mistake, he closed down his business forever and locked himself in a shack not to far from here, waiting for the time when the trees woud return. They say he never got to see the forest at it's full beauty again."

It was silent around the fire for a moment before Hikaru blurted, "That's it? How is that scary?"

"Don't you SEE?!" the king shouted from behind Haruhi who didn't flinch at all. "The ghosts of the trees! And the greedy, heartbroken man! They're here! Can't you FEEL THEM?"

The group sat silently for another moment, until the fire in the middle popped loudly making almost everyone jump, except for Tamaki who screamed and cowered behind Haruhi.

The female sighed and got to her feet, exposing a trembling Tamaki. "Well, I'm gonna go to bed. It's getting pretty late." Before she could take a step, the tall blonde gripped her wrist and cried, "DON'T LEAVE ME, HARUHI!"

Haruhi yanked her wrist from The King's grasp, more due to reflex than anything. "I'm not 'leaving'," she told him then pointed to a spot no more than five feet away where her sleeping bag had the fortune of being distanced from the madness of the campfire. "I'll be right there, senpai."

"But-!" the trembling blonde began.

"I'll see you in the morning," Haruhi cut off, walking away before the blonde could utter another word and was soon followed by the rest of the club members (plus the non-members) who exchanged quick 'good nights' and went in their sleeping bags, leaving Tamaki alone in the waning light of the campfire.

"I hate camping..." He whimpered before scrambling to his own cushiony safety.

* * *

**Random chapter is random but at least it's here right? We warned you collage would be killer? x' But if you read we love you a TON 3**


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